Mount Mitchell State Park

ALPINE

FOREST

Mount Mitchell State Park An Environmental Education Learning Experience Designed for Grades 3-6 “In the end, we will conserve only what we love; we will love only what we understand; we will understand only what we are taught.” - Senegalese conservationist Baba Dioum

i Funding for the original printing of this Environmental Education Learning Experience was contributed by

ii This Environmental Education Learning Experience was developed by

Jack L. Bradley, Jr. Superintendent, Mount Mitchell State Park; Lea J. Beazley Interpretation and Education Specialist, North Carolina State Parks; and Ms. Carrie Cook Intern, East Carolina University

N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation Department of Environment and Natural Resources

Michael F. Easley William G. Ross, Jr. Governor Secretary

iii Mount Mitchell State Park wishes to acknowledge the following individuals whose efforts made this Environmental Education Learning Experience possible:

Ms. Gwen Diehn, Professor, Warren Wilson College;

Ms. Carrie Wittmer, National Audubon Expedition Group;

Ms. Gwen Foor, National Audubon Expedition Group;

Mr. Roger Lacy, National Audubon Expedition Group;

Ms. Caroline Roesler, National Audubon Expedition Group;

Ms. Monica Bosworth, National Audubon Expedition Group;

Dr. Harriett S. Stubbs, Sci-Link;

Ms. Sonja Whiteside, Buncombe County Schools;

Other Contributors . . .

Park staff;

Park volunteers;

The N.C. Department of Public Instruction;

The N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources;

and the many individuals and agencies who assisted in the review of this publication.

500 copies of this public document were printed at a total cost of $3,362 or $6.72 per copy.

Printed on recycled paper. 05-01

iv Table of Contents

1. Introduction ¥ Introduction to the North Carolina State Parks System...... 1.1 ¥ Introduction to Mount Mitchell State Park...... 1.2 ¥ Introduction to the Activity Packet for Mount Mitchell State Park...... 1.5

2. Activity Summary ...... 2.1 ¥ Correlation Chart ...... 2.2

3. Pre-Visit Activities ¥ #1 Canada Down South...... 3.1 ¥ #2 The Human Tree...... 3.2 ¥ #3 Acid from the Skies ...... 3.3 ¥ #4 Invasion of the Alien Adelgid ...... 3.4

4. On-Site Activities ¥ #1 Meet a Tree...... 4.1 ¥ #2 Mt. Mitchell — A Sense of Place ...... 4.2 ¥ #3 Planting for Tomorrow ...... 4.3

5. Post-Visit Activities ¥ #1 Forest Game ...... 5.1 ¥ #2 Forest Stewardship ...... 5.2 ¥ #3 Recycle a Forest — Leave a Log Alone...... 5.3

6. Vocabulary ...... 6.1

7. References ...... 7.1

8. Forms ...... 8.1

9. Notes ...... 9.1

v Introduction to the North Carolina State Parks System

reserving and protecting The North Carolina State As one of North Carolina’s PNorth Carolina’s natural Parks System has now been principal conservation resources is actually a established for more than agencies, the Division of relatively new idea. The three quarters of a century. Parks and Recreation is seeds of the conservation What started out as one small responsible for the more than movement were planted plot of public land has grown 164,000 acres that make up early in the 20th century into 61 properties across the our state parks system. The when citizens were alerted state, including parks, division manages these to the devastation of Mount resources for the safe Mitchell. Logging was enjoyment of the public and destroying a well-known protects and preserves them landmark — the highest as a part of the heritage we peak east of the will pass on to generations to Mississippi. As the come. magnificent forests of this An important component mile-high peak fell to of our stewardship of these the lumbermen’s axe, lands is education. Through alarmed citizens began our interpretation and to voice their objections. environmental education Governor Locke Craig services, the Division of joined them in their efforts Parks and Recreation strives to save Mount Mitchell. to offer enlightening Together they convinced programs which lead to an the legislature to pass a bill recreation areas, trails, rivers, understanding and establishing Mount Mitchell lakes and natural areas. This appreciation of our natural as the first state park of vast network of land boasts resources. The goal of our North Carolina. That was in some of the most beautiful environmental education 1915. scenery in the world and program is to generate an offers endless recreation awareness in all individuals opportunities. But our state that cultivates responsible parks system offers much stewardship of the earth. more than scenery and recreation. Our lands and waters contain unique and valuable archaeological, geological and biological resources that are important For more information contact: parts of our natural heritage. N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation 1615 Mail Service Center Raleigh, NC 27699-1615 919/ 733-4181 www.ncsparks.net

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC1.1 April 2001 Introduction to Mount Mitchell State Park

In the crest of the billion The Park as an provides a wonderful outdoor year old Black Mountain range classroom for learning about lies the summit of Mount Outdoor Classroom history, literature and recre- Mitchell, the highest point east Numerous recreation fac- ation. Students can study and of the Mississippi. This lofty ilities and a variety of educa- learn about these and peak is the focal point of the tional opportunities make other subjects on 1,860 acre Mount Mitchell a visit to Mount a hands-on basis. State Park. Mitchell a rewarding Groups are Mount Mitchell State Park adventure. The natural encouraged to visit is the oldest state park in the resources of this unique the park during the southeastern United States. It mountainous area open the warmer months of was established in 1915 by door to a world of learning the year for hikes, the North Carolina General and discovery. One of the exploration, nature study and Assembly for the preservation most outstanding natural other activities. Leaders may and protection of the unique features of the park is its high choose to design and conduct spruce-fir forests located there. elevation. Because tempera- their own activities or make The two highest peaks of the ture decreases as altitude use of the park’s Environ- eastern United States are increases, the climate of mental Education Learning located within the boundaries Mount Mitchell is similar to Experience packet. A park of the park: Mount Mitchell at that of southern Canada. ranger will be happy to meet 6,684 feet and Mount Craig Mount Mitchell State Park with your group upon arrival to at 6,647 feet. has a unique natural history answer any questions the Mount Mitchell is located and is an excellent place to students may have, or to wel- in Yancey County, 34 miles study geology, ecology, come the group and present a northeast of Asheville off the biology and environmental short talk. Park staff will make Blue Ridge Parkway on North issues. The park is also rich every effort to accommodate Carolina Highway 128. in cultural resources and persons with disabilities.

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC1.2 April 2001 Park Facilities: which can accommodate 16 Before the Trip: Restrooms: Restrooms are people each. All are available 1. Complete the pre-visit available at the park office, on a first-come basis although activities in the Environmental the restaurant, and near the shelters may be reserved. Education Learning summit of Mt. Mitchell behind Use of the shelters is free of Experience. charge unless you reserve the concession stand. 2. The group leader should visit them. The Balsam Shop: A gift the park without the partici- shop containing a variety of Camping: Family camping pants prior to the group trip. regional crafts, art, music, is available from May 1 to This will enable you to become books and more is also October 31 on a first-come familiar with the facilities and located near the summit. It is basis. Each of the nine the park staff, and to identify open May 1 to October 31 campsites has a grill, any potential problems. picnic table and a gravel pad from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. 3. The group leader should for tents. The campsites are Museum: A museum discuss park rules and behavior located a short distance from featuring a variety of hands- expectations with adult leaders the campground parking lot. on, interactive exhibits is and participants. Safety should A centrally located located next to the gift shop. be stressed. washhouse provides drinking It is open from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. water and toilet facilities. 4. Everyone should wear a daily from April 1 to This washhouse is closed name tag. Please color-code November 30, weather during the winter. Electric tags (for groups) and establish permitting. The museum and water hookups are not a buddy system. depicts how the high available. 5. Activities that take place elevation of Mt. Mitchell outdoors may expose partici- makes it an “island in the Scheduling a Trip: pants to insects and seasonal sky” and influences the 1. Please contact the park at weather conditions. The high weather, climate, flora, fauna least two weeks in advance to altitude makes the climate of and human activities that can make a reservation. Mount Mitchell quite cold even occur here. 2. Complete the Scheduling in summer. Be prepared by Picnic Area: A picnic area Worksheet located on page dressing accordingly and is located at the north end of 8.1, and return it to the park as wearing sunscreen and/or insect the summit parking lot. It soon as possible. repellent, if necessary. contains 40 picnic tables, 3. Research Activity Permits Comfortable walking shoes several stone grills, drinking may be required for sampling should also be worn. water and two picnic shelters activities. If your group plans 6. The group leader is respon- to collect any plant, animal or sible for obtaining a parental mineral within the park, please permission form from each contact the park office at least participant, including a list of 30 days in advance to obtain a any health considerations and permit application. medical needs. An example of this form is on page 8.2. 7. If you will be late or need to cancel your trip, please notify the park as far in advance as possible.

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC1.3 April 2001 While at the Park: 5. In case of accident or 5. File a written evaluation of emergency, contact park staff the experience with the park. Whether your class is immediately. Evaluation forms are available working on an in the activity packet on page Environmental Education Following the Trip: 8.3. Learning Experience or 1. Complete the post-visit taking a nature hike, please activities in the Environmental Park Information: obey the following rules: Education Learning Experi- Mount Mitchell State Park 1. To help you get the ence packet. Route 5, Box 700 most out of the experience and 2. Build upon the field experi- Burnsville, NC 28714 increase the chance of ence and encourage partici- Tel: (828) 675-4611 observing wildlife, be as quiet pants to seek answers Fax: (828) 675-9655 as possible while in the park. to questions and problems E-mail: 2. On hikes, walk behind the encountered at the park. [email protected] leader at all times. Running is 3. Relate the experience to Office Hours: not permitted. classroom activities and 8:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m. 3. All plants and animals curriculum through reports, Monday - Friday within the park are protected. projects, demonstrations, Breaking plants and harming displays and presentations. Hours of Operation: animals are prohibited in all 4. Give tests or evaluations, Nov. - Feb. 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. state parks. This allows future if appropriate, to determine if March, Oct. 8:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. visitors the same opportunity students have gained the April, May, Sept. 8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. June - Aug. 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. to enjoy our natural resources. desired information from the 4. Picnic in designated picnic experience. See Assessment areas only. Help keep the park section of each activity for clean and natural; do not litter. ideas.

red-tailed hawk

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC1.4 April 2001 Introduction to the Activity Packet for Mount Mitchell State Park

The Environmental Educa- in the pre-visit and on-site The first occurrence of tion Learning Experience, activities. These activities may vocabulary words used in Alpine Forest, provides a be performed independently; these activities is indicated in series of hands-on activities for however, they have been bold type. Their definitions the classroom and the outdoor designed as a series to build are listed in the back of the setting of Mount Mitchell upon the students’ newly activity packet. A list of the State Park. This activity gained knowledge and reference materials used in packet, designed for grades 3 experiences. developing the activities through 6, meets established The Environmental Educa- follows the vocabulary list. curriculum objectives of the tion Learning Experience, This document was North Carolina Department of Alpine Forest, will expose the Public Instruction’s Standard designed to be reproduced, in students to the following major part or entirety, for use in Course of Study. Three types concepts: of activities are included: North Carolina classrooms. If ¥ Spruce-Fir Forest you wish to photocopy or adapt 1) pre-visit activities Ecosystems it for other uses, please credit 2) on-site activities the N.C. Division of Parks and 3) post-visit activities ¥ Tree Anatomy and Physiology Recreation. The on-site activities will be conducted at the park, while ¥ Exotic and Native Species Note: pre-visit and post-visit ¥ Limiting Factors and The on-site activities will be activities are designed for the Spruce-Fir Forest Decline outdoors and could expose the students to cold conditions, classroom. Pre-visit activities ¥ Decomposition should be introduced prior to ticks and insects. Accessibility to some areas may be difficult the park visit so that students ¥ Interdependence of Plants and Animals for persons with special needs. will have the necessary back- When conducting the on-site ground and vocabulary for the ¥ Preservation of Natural activities, please remember that on-site activities. We encour- Areas collecting specimens of any age you to use the post-visit ¥ Stewardship of Natural kind in the park is prohibited. activities to reinforce concepts, Resources skills and vocabulary learned

striped skunk

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC1.5 April 2001 Activity Summary

The following outline provides a brief summary of each activity, the major concepts introduced and the objectives met by completion of the activity. I. Pre-Visit Activities #1 Canada Down South (page 3.1.1) In this activity, students will play a card game to learn about the changes in natural communities at different elevations in the southern Appalachians. Major Concepts: ¥ Natural communities ¥ Community diversity with change of elevation ¥ Identifying plants and animals Learning Skills: ¥ Observing, classifying and communicating ¥ Organizing and analyzing information Objectives: ¥ Describe five different natural communities you would encounter as you ascend Mount Mitchell. ¥ Name four plants and four animals from each of these natural communities. ¥ List two environmental factors which bring about changes in natural communities between 0 and 6,000 feet above sea level in North Carolina.

#2 The Human Tree (page 3.2.1) Students will participate in a simulation to learn, or review, basic tree anatomy and physiology. During a second simulation, students will be introduced to the limiting factors that impact Fraser firs at Mt. Mitchell. Major Concepts: ¥ Tree anatomy and physiology ¥ Air pollution ¥ Insect pests ¥ Limiting factors Learning Skills: ¥ Observing, classifying, communicating and predicting ¥ Participating in creative interpretations ¥ Applying concepts and ideas Objectives: ¥ List three or more parts of a tree and describe their functions. ¥ List three limiting factors that impact the Fraser firs at Mt. Mitchell, and describe how each factor affects the physiology of the tree.

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC2.1.1 April 2001 #3 Acid from the Skies (page 3.3.1) Students will simulate the effects of acid rain on a variety of objects by experimenting with household acids and uncooked eggs, pennies, and plants. They will then relate their experiences with acids in the classroom to acid rain in the environment outside the classroom by completing a worksheet that illustrates where the acid in our atmosphere comes from and how it may affect the environment. Also, in an activity involving balloons, they will portray acid rain producers and things affected by acid rain. Major Concepts: ¥ Acidity and pH ¥ Acid rain formation ¥ Effects of acid deposition on plants Learning Skills: ¥ Observing, communicating, experimenting and predicting ¥ Measuring, averaging and graphing ¥ Applying and expanding information Objectives: ¥ Predict and observe the effects of household acids on nonliving objects and plants inside the classroom. ¥ Using experimental results, predict how acid rain might affect living and nonliving things in the environment outside the classroom. ¥ Draw or list two sources of acid rain. ¥ Given a list of terms, correctly label a diagram depicting acid rain formation and its possible effects. #4 Invasion of the Alien Adelgid (page 3.4.1) Students will use soda straws to simulate the effect of the balsam woolly adelgid attack on Fraser firs. Students will identify the difference between native and exotic species, and between exotic species and invasive exotic species. They will discover how an invasive species, the balsam woolly adelgid, came to exist on Mt. Mitchell. Major Concepts: ¥ Native and exotic species ¥ Invasive exotic species ¥ Balsam woolly adelgid Learning Skills: ¥ Observing, communicating, inferring and predicting ¥ Applying concepts and ideas Objectives: ¥ Define exotic species and explain how invasive exotics threaten native plants and animals. ¥ Identify one invasive exotic species at Mt. Mitchell State Park. ¥ List the effects of the balsam woolly adelgid on the spruce-fir forest ecosystem. ¥ Participate in an activity that demonstrates the physiological effects of the balsam woolly adelgid on Fraser fir trees.

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 2.1.2 April 2001 II. On-Site Activities #1 Meet a Tree (page 4.1.1) The students will collect data from several small plots along the Balsam Trail at Mount Mitchell State Park. They will identify each tree species within the plot and estimate each tree’s diameter. Students will also measure the pH of the soil in their plot. Major Concepts: ¥ Ecology of the spruce-fir forests of the southern Appalachians ¥ Plot sampling methods ¥ Soil pH Learning Skills: ¥ Observing, classifying and communicating ¥ Interpreting data and making inferences ¥ Measuring Objectives: ¥ Identify the four most common trees on Mount Mitchell. ¥ Determine the number of trees in a plot. ¥ Measure each tree's diameter at 4 1/2 feet above the ground. ¥ Determine the soil pH.

#2 Mt. Mitchell — A Sense of Place (page 4.2.1) Educators will lead the students in a guided story that allows them to use their imagina- tions to experience life as a Fraser fir at Mount Mitchell. Students will also participate in a silent hike along the Balsam Trail. Major Concepts: ¥ Life cycle of a tree ¥ Spruce-fir forest ¥ Interdependence of plants and animals Learning Skills: ¥ Communicating and observing ¥ Responding personally and creatively to a story/experience Objectives: ¥ Observe and describe three different plants and three different animals inhabiting the spruce-fir forest on Mt. Mitchell. ¥ Describe the condition of the trees on Mt. Mitchell and list two possible causes of tree mortality. ¥ Complete a journal entry with observations, sketches, poetry, or other written response after participating in a guided imagery activity on Mt. Mitchell.

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC2.1.3 April 2001 #3 Planting for Tomorrow (page 4.3.1) By planting trees at Mt. Mitchell State Park, students participate in a stewardship activity and express their appreciation for trees. Major Concepts: ¥ Benefits of trees ¥ Planting trees ¥ Spruce-fir forest decline Learning Skills: ¥ Observing, measuring, inferring, predicting ¥ Participating in a stewardship activity ¥ Graphing and interpreting data Objectives: ¥ Observe and describe the condition of Fraser firs on Mt. Mitchell. ¥ List two limiting factors that stress Fraser firs on Mt. Mitchell. ¥ List at least three ways that trees benefit people. ¥ Successfully plant Fraser fir seedlings on Mt. Mitchell, or observe and measure trees that were planted by other groups.

III. Post-Visit Activities #1 Forest Game (page 5.1.1) Through a game, students will experience some of the factors that limit tree growth. Major Concepts: ¥ Environmental factors affecting forest growth Learning Skills: ¥ Communicating and observing ¥ Participating in creative interpretations ¥ Applying concepts and ideas Objectives: ¥ List five limiting factors that can adversely affect natural communities. ¥ List three ways to help protect the spruce-fir forest.

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 2.1.4 April 2001 #2 Forest Stewardship (page 5.2.1) Students write forest stewardship plans outlining responsible actions they can take to improve the health of trees and forests. Major Concepts: ¥ Conservation of natural resources ¥ Stewardship ¥ Responsible environmental action Learning Skills: ¥ Writing a stewardship plan ¥ Carefully considering consequences of actions Objectives: ¥ List at least two stewardship actions individuals can take to improve the health of trees and forests. ¥ Explain the positive consequences of each action listed above. ¥ Define at least two of the four types of responsible action: ecomanagement, persuasion, consumerism, and political action. ¥ Choose one type of responsible environmental action and write a forest stewardship plan, outlining the steps in taking action.

#3 Recycle a Forest — Leave a Log Alone (page 5.3.1) Students will listen to a story to learn why rotting logs are important to the health of the forest community. They will participate in a simulation to learn how a variety of decomposers work together to break down dead trees. Major Concepts: ¥ Decomposers and decomposition ¥ Forest resource management Learning Skills: ¥ Participating in creative interpretations; listening ¥ Applying concepts and ideas ¥ Observing, classifying, communicating and predicting Objectives: ¥ List three decomposers and describe their role in returning dead trees to the soil. ¥ Explain why park managers often choose to leave dead trees and logs alone. ¥ List pros and cons of not disturbing dead trees or logs on school property or in students’ neighborhoods.

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC2.1.5 April 2001 Correlation Chart

Note to classroom teachers: The following Correlation Chart shows how each activity in this Environmental Education Learning Experience (EELE) correlates with the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (DPI) objectives in science, mathematics, social studies and English language arts. The activities are listed in the order in which they appear in this EELE. The recommended grade levels are listed along the side of the chart. Notice that only the objective numbers are listed. Use your DPI Teacher Handbook for each subject area to get a complete description of the objectives in that subject area.

Pre-Visit Activity #1: Canada Down South, p. 3.1.1 Grade Science English Lang. Arts Soc. Studies Mathematics

3 1.02 1.2, 1.3, 1.5, 2.3, 8.3 1.15, 2.12, 2.13 Nature of Science 2.7, 3.1, 3.12 Skill Goal I

4 1.03 1.1, 2.2, 2.4, 3.2, 4.2 1.2, 1.15 Nature of Science 3.1, 3.8 Skill Goal I

5 1.01, 1.04 1.1, 2.2, 2.4, 4.2 Nature of Science 1.2, 1.4, 3.5

6 2.03 Nature of Science 1.3, 2.1, 2.3, 1.7, 1.13 3.2, 3.9

Pre-Visit Activity #2: The Human Tree, p. 3.2.1 GradeScience English Lang. Arts Soc. Studies Mathematics

3 1.01, 1.02, 1.03 1.2, 1.5, 2.3, 2.7, 4.2 Nature of Science 3.1, 3.12 Skill Goals I & II

4 1.03 1.1, 2.3, 2.4, Nature of Science 3.1, 3.8

5 1.04, 1.06 1.1, 2.2, 2.4, Nature of Science 3.1, 3.6

6 2.01, 2.03 1.1, 2.3, 3.2, 3.9 Nature of Science

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 2.2.1 April 2001 Correlation Chart Pre-Visit Activity #3: Acid from the Skies, p. 3.3.1 Grade Science English Lang. Arts Soc. Studies Mathematics 3 1.01, 1.02, 1.04 1.2, 1.3, 1.5, 2.3, 6.2, 6.3, 8.3, 9.3 2.6, 2.7, 4.1, Nature of Science 2.7, 3.1, 3.7, 3.9, Skill Goals I & II 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, Science Inquiry 3.10, 3.11, 3.12, 4.5, 4.7 Personal & Social 5.4, 6.4 Perspectives 4 1.03 1.1, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.3, 5.3, 9.4, 11.2, 2.7, 4.2, 4.3, Nature of Science 2.6, 3.1, 3.2, 3.8, 11.3 4.4, 4.5, 4.6 Science Inquiry 6.1 Skill Goals I & II Personal & Social Perspectives 5 1.03, 1.04, 1.06, 1.1, 2.2, 2.4, 3.1, 2.3, 5.2, 5.3 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.6, 4.01, 4.02, 4.03 3.6, 3.10, 3.12, Skill Goals I & II 4.8 Nature of Science 6.2 Science Inquiry Personal & Social Perspectives

6 1.03, 2.01, 2.03, 1.3, 2.2, 3.2, 3.9, 5.2, 5.3 4.1, 4.4, 4.5, 4.6, 2.04 4.1, 5.7 Skill Goals I & II 4.7, 4.8, 4.9 Nature of Science Science Inquiry Personal & Social Perspectives

Pre-Visit Activity #4: Invasion of the Alien Adelgid, p. 3.4.1 Grade Science English Lang. Arts Soc. Studies Mathematics 3 1.01, 1.02, 1.03 1.2, 1.5, 2.3, 2.6, 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 9.3 Personal & Social 2.7, 3.1, 3.9, 3.10, Skill Goals I & II Perspectives 3.11, 4.4, 4.7, 4.8

4 1.01, 1.02, 1.03 1.1, 2.3, 2.4, 3.1, 2.3, 4.2, 5.2, 5.3, Personal & Social 3.2, 3.8, 4.1, 5.1, 9.4, 11.3 Perspectives 6.1 Skill Goals I & II

5 1.02, 1.03, 1.06 1.1, 2.2, 2.4, 3.1, 2.3, 3.1, 5.2, 5.3, Personal & Social 3.6, 5.1, 6.2, 6.6 6.3, 11.3 Perspectives Skill Goals I & II

6 2.03, 2.04 2.2, 3.2, 3.9, 4.1, 3.1 Personal & Social 5.4, 5.10, 6.2 Skill Goal I Perspectives

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 2.2.2 April 2001 Correlation Chart On-Site Activity #1: Meet a Tree, p. 4.1.1 Grade Science English Lang. Arts Soc. Studies Mathematics 3 1.01, 1.02, 1.03, 1.2, 1.3, 1.5, 2.3, 2.6, 2.8, 2.12, 2.01, 2.02, 2.03 3.1, 3.7, 3.9, 3.10 3.5, 4.1, 4.2, 4.4 Nature of Science 3.11, 3.12 Science Inquiry 4 1.03 1.1, 2.3, 2.4, 2.7, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, Nature of Science 3.1, 3.2, 3.8 4.5 Science Inquiry

5 1.03, 1.04, 4.04 1.1, 2.2, 2.4, 2.5, 2.9, 4.3, 4.5, Nature of Science 3.1, 3.6 4.6 Science as Inquiry

6 1.01, 1.02, 2.03 1.1, 2.1, 2.3, 2.6, 3.6, 4.2, 4.4, Nature of Science 3.2, 3.9 4.8, 4.9 Science Inquiry

On-Site Activity #2: Mt. Mitchell — A Sense of Place, p. 4.2.1 Grade Science English Lang. Arts Soc. Studies Mathematics

3 1.01, 1.02, 1.03 4.1, 4.6, 4.7, Nature of Science 5.4, 6.2

4 1.01, 1.03 4.6, 5.1, 6.1, Nature of Science 6.4, 6.6, 6.7

5 1.03, 1.04, 1.06 5.1, 5.5, 6.2, 6.5 Nature of Science

6 2.01, 2.03 4.1, 5.4, 5.7, Nature of Science 5.10, 6.2, 6.7

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 2.2.3 April 2001 Correlation Chart On-Site Activity #3: Planting for Tomorrow, p. 4.3.1 Grade Science English Lang. Arts Soc. Studies Mathematics 3 1.01, 1.02, 2.01, 1.2, 1.3, 2.3, 1.2, 6.1, 6.3, 9.3, 2.6, 2.8, 2.02 3.1, 3.7 11.2, 11.4 4.1, 4.2, 4.4 Science Inquiry Skill Goals I, III & Personal & Social IV Perspectives 4 1.03 1.1, 2.3, 2.4, 2.3, 5.2, 5.3, 7.5, 2.7, 2.10, 4.2, Science Inquiry 3.1, 3.2, 3.8 8.2, 9.4, 11.3 4.3, 4.4, 4.5 Personal & Social Skill Goals I, III & Perspectives IV 51.04 1.1, 2.2, 2.4, 2.3, 5.2, 5.3, 9.2 2.2, 2.9, 4.3, Science Inquiry 3.1, 3.6, 3.10 Skill Goals I, III & 4.5, 4.6 Personal & Social IV Perspectives

6 1.01, 1.02, 1.03, 1.1, 1.3, 2.1, 2.12, 4.1, 4.2, 2.03 3.2, 3.9 4.4 Science Inquiry Personal & Social Perspectives

Post-Visit Activity #1: Forest Game, p. 5.1.1 Grade ScienceEnglish Lang. Arts Soc. Studies Mathematics 3 1.01, 1.02, 1.03 1.2, 2.3, 3.1, 3.7 1.2, 4.2, 6.2, 6.3, Personal & Social 9.3, 11.4 Perspectives Skill Goals I, III & IV

4 1.03 1.1, 2.3, 2.4, 3.1, 2.3, 5.2, 5.3, 7.5, Personal & Social 3.2, 3.8 8.2, 9.4 Perspectives Skill Goals I, III & IV

5 1.04, 1.06 1.1, 2.2, 2.4, 3.1, 2.3, 5.2, 5.3 Personal & Social 3.10 Skill Goals I, III & IV Perspectives 6 2.01, 2.03, 2.04 1.3, 2.2, 3.2 Personal & Social Perspectives

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 2.2.4 April 2001 Correlation Chart Post-Visit Activity #2: Forest Stewardship, p. 5.2.1 Grade Science English Lang. Arts Soc. Studies Mathematics 3 1.01, 1.02, 1.03 1.2, 1.3, 1.5, 2.3, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 3.1, 4.2, Personal & Social 2.7, 3.1, 3.3, 3.7, 4.4, 5.3, 6.3, 9.3, Perspectives 3.10, 4.7, 5.4, 6.3, 11.2, 11.4 -- Skill 6.4 Goals I, II, III & IV

4 1.03 1.1, 2.3, 2.4, 2.6, 2.3, 5.2, 5.3, 7.5, 8.2, Personal & Social 3.1, 3.2, 3.8, 6.1 8.3, 9.1, 9.2, 9.4, Perspectives 11.3 -- Skill Goals I, II, III & IV

5 1.04, 1.06 1.1, 2.2, 2.4, 3.1, 2.3, 5.3, 7.3, 8.2, Personal & Social 3.6, 3.10, 3.12, 11.3 -- Skill Goals I, Perspectives 5.1, 6.2, 6.6 II, III & IV

6 1.03, 2.01, 2.03 1.1, 1.3, 2.1, 2.2, Personal & Social 3.2, 3.8, 3.9, 4.1, Perspectives 5.7, 5.10, 6.2, 6.7

Post-Visit Activity #3: Recycle a Forest — Leave a Log Alone, p. 5.3.1 Grade Science English Lang. Arts Soc. Studies Mathematics 3 1.01, 1.02, 2.01, 1.2, 2.3, 2.7, 3.1, 1.1, 4.4, 9.3, 11.4 2.03, 2.04 3.7, 3.9, 3.10, 4.3, Skill Goals I & II Nature of Science 5.4, 6.4 Personal & Social Perspectives

4 1.01, 1.02, 1.03 1.1, 2.3, 3.1, 3.2, 2.3, 5.2, 5.3, Nature of Science 3.8, 6.1 8.2, 9.4 Personal & Social Skill Goals I & II Perpectives

5 1.02, 1.04, 1.06 1.1, 2.2, 2.4, 3.1, 5.2, 5.3 Nature of Science 3.6, 3.10, 3.11, Skill Goals I & II Personal & Social 5.1, 6.2 Perspectives 6 1.01, 1.03, 2.03, 1.1, 1.3, 2.1, 3.2, 2.04 3.9, 4.1, 5.4, 6.2 Nature of Science Personal & Social Perspectives

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 2.2.5 April 2001 Pre-Visit Activity #1 Canada Down South

Objectives: Major Concepts: Instructions: ¥ Natural communities ¥ Describe five different 1. Have the students read the ¥ Community diversity with natural communities you Student’s Information sheet, change of elevation would encounter as you then hand out a copy of the ¥ Identifying plants and ascend Mount Mitchell. animals Mountain Community Fact ¥ Name four plants and four Sheet to each student. Learning Skills: animals from each of Divide the class into groups ¥ Observing, classifying and these natural communities. of four. Give each group communicating ¥ List two environmental one set of Mountain ¥ Organizing and analyzing factors which bring about information Community Cards (60 changes in natural cards). Cut the cards apart Subject Areas: communities between 0 as indicated. If desired, ¥ Science and 6,000 feet above sea laminate them for durability. ¥ English Language Arts level in North Carolina. * See the Activity Summary 2. Explain to the students for a Correlation with the Educator’s Information: that the object of the game is DPI objectives in these for each player to make as subject areas. n this card game, students many natural community Location: Classroom Iwill learn about the plants “books” as possible out of and animals that make up the cards in his or her hand. Group Size: 30 students five different natural The students will need to communities in the refer to their Mountain Estimated Time: 20 minutes Piedmont and mountain Community Fact Sheet to Appropriate Season: Any regions of the southeastern United States. They will Materials: learn which plants and Provided by the educator: animals are common to Per student: One copy of several natural communities Student’s Information and Mountain Community Fact and which are found only in Sheet one community. Per group: Deck of Mountain Community Cards

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 3.1.1 April 2001 determine which cards will shuffled, then turned over Once the students have make a book. A book and used as the stack. Play arrived at their community, consists of four cards that all continues until there is no they should talk with other come from the same longer a stack or discard pile members of the community community type. The four or when only one player is about who they are, where cards must be different plants left holding cards. they live, and how they or animals from the same 6. The player with the depend on other members of community type. Books are greatest number of natural the community for survival. laid down on the table face up. community books wins. Give each group 15 3. To play the game, the Assessment: minutes to prepare a brief dealer deals eight cards to skit or presentation about each player, starting with the On five different pieces of their natural community (the player on the dealer’s left. construction paper, write in elevation, primary Have the dealer place the large print the names of the vegetation, etc. and the leftover cards in a stack face five natural communities relationships between the down in the center of the covered in this activity. plants and animals living table, with the top card Tape the pieces of paper on there. turned over and placed the wall in different areas of beside the stack as the start the room. Extension: of the discard pile. Ask each person in every Assign each student a The player to the right of group to draw a card from different member of various the dealer starts the game. their deck of Mountain natural communities to He or she will draw a card Community Cards; pick one research and write a brief from the stack or pick the natural community that the report about. Ask the card presently on top of the plant or animal identified on students to share the discard pile. If the player can that card lives in; and go to information they have use the new card, he or that community (identified learned about the different she does so, laying down any on the pieces of paper on the plants and animals with the natural community books wall). class. held. When laying down a book, the player must name aloud the natural community it represents. He or she will then discard one card into the discard pile, face up. If a card drawn from the stack cannot be used, it can be discarded. Play continues in this manner. 4. If a player runs out of cards at the end of his turn, he or she draws four cards from either the stack or discard pile. 5. When the stack has been used up, the discard pile is black bear

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 3.1.2 April 2001 Student’s Information

ould you believe northern places that were into distinct species and live that you can travel covered by the glaciers. nowhere else in the world. Wto a place very Animals and plants from the The plants and animals that much like southern Canada North were able to live in areas live at the top of these moun- and still be in North Carolina? that had been too warm for tains are adapted to the cold, You can, and here’s why: them before the Ice Age. whereas the plants and animals During the past two million Thousands of years passed, that live in the valleys are years, erosion and other forces and the earth gradually adapted to a warmer climate. have changed the mountains warmed up. The glaciers Between these valley and of North Carolina. During the shrank as they melted back to mountain communities is a last Ice Age, glaciers (wide, the far North, and the climate gradient in weather conditions thick rivers of ice) covered in the South warmed up again. from warm to cold, with a wide much of what is now the Some cold-weather plants and variety of plants and animals northern United States. As animals followed the melting living along this gradient. these glaciers slowly moved glaciers north. Others could If you were to travel from south from the polar regions to now live only in the coldest North Carolina to Canada by present day Illinois and places in the South — moun- car, you would notice that the Indiana, they brought colder tain tops above 5,500 feet, such plants growing by the roadside weather into the southern as those of the Black Mountains. and in fields and forests begin United States. Today, we still find plants to look different as you Some animals and plants and animals in North Carolina traveled farther north. That’s that lived in the North spread that are adapted to cold because the average temp- south ahead of the glaciers, weather similar to that in the erature drops around 3 degrees since the weather was warmer northernmost United States Fahrenheit for every 300 in that direction. Although and southern Canada. They miles that you travel north. The the climate in the South was live on the peaks of the south- farther north, the cooler the colder during the Ice Age than ern Appalachian mountains. climate. Plants that grow well it had been previously, it was Some of these plants and ani- in the lower elevations of not as cold as the climate in mals have changed over time North Carolina generally do

American beech

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 3.1.3 April 2001 not do well in southern Suppose you were to hike found in only one type of Canada. On the other hand, the Mount Michell Trail that natural community. For cold-loving plants that thrive starts at the Black Mountain example, Fraser fir trees are in southern Canada would find Campground near Busick found only in the spruce-fir North Carolina’s climate in the (2,800 feet above sea level) forest community. In the Piedmont or coastal plain too and ends at the summit (6,684 southern Appalachians, spruce- hot. But traveling north is not feet above sea level). You fir forests generally occur the only way to find a cooler would pass through the same above 5,500 feet. Some climate. Here’s how you can types of forests and climate animals, such as the white- take a quick trip to a forest like changes as you would if you tailed deer, are so adaptable that of southern Canada drove north to southern they can be found from the without ever leaving North Canada! There is about 12 de- coast to the cool mountain Carolina. If you were to climb grees Fahrenheit difference in tops, living in all the natural 1,000 feet up the side of a temperature from the base of communities. mountain, you would find the Mount Mitchell to its summit. You will be playing a game climate approximately three Here’s how to calculate the where you match up four cards degrees Fahrenheit cooler than temperature drop on the trail: representing four members it was where you started. If Step 1: Find the difference in of the same natural commu- you began your trip at sea elevation between the summit nity. Five different natural level and kept going until you and the Black Mountain communities found on the reached the top of a 6,000 foot Campground at the base of slopes of the Black Mountain mountain, how much cooler the trail: 6,684 - 2,800 = 3,884 Range are represented in this would it be at the top than it game: oak-hickory forests, Step 2: 3,884 ft. ÷ 1000 ft = 3.9 was at the beach where you cove hardwood forests, started (0 feet altitude)? Step 3: 3.9 x 3û = 11.7ûF northern hardwood forests, Solution The Mountain Community mountain balds, and spruce-fir Step 1: 6,000 ft ÷ 1,000 ft = 6 Fact Sheet lists some of the forests. There are more than plants and animals that live in five natural communities Step 2: 6 x 3û = 18û the natural communities found in the Black Mountains, Answer: The temperature found on the slopes of the but only five are used in this would be 18û F cooler at the Black Mountain Range. Some game. top of the mountain. of these plants and animals are

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 3.1.4 April 2001 Mountain Community Fact Sheet

Here are five natural communities found at different elevations on the slopes of the Black Mountains:

Oak-Hickory Forest At lower elevations (below 3,500 feet), we find oak-hickory forests. These forests occur over the south- and east-facing outer slopes of the Blue Ridge Mountains below 3,500 feet and in the interior mountain basins. The most common trees are white, red and chestnut oaks, but black and scarlet oaks are plentiful as well. In the oak-hickory forests we find: white oak gray squirrel red oak black bear red maple white-tailed deer pignut hickory wild turkey white pine striped skunk raccoon eastern box turtle

Cove Hardwood Forest In especially damp areas at lower elevations, we find cove hardwood forests. These forests occur in the southern Appalachians in sheltered mountain valleys on north- and east-facing slopes from 1,500 to 4,500 feet. Cove forests are among the richest, most magnificent deciduous forests found anywhere on earth. This forest includes: American beech white-tailed deer red oak gray squirrel yellow poplar eastern box turtle sugar maple black bear

Northern Hardwood Forest At higher elevations, between 3,500 and 5,500 feet, we find northern hardwood forests. These forests are like those found in the New England states. In them we find: American beech eastern box turtle sugar maple spotted salamander yellow birch black bear eastern hemlock red squirrel white-tailed deer Appalachian cottontail rabbit gray squirrel raccoon

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 3.1.5 April 2001 Mountain Balds At these same elevations (3,500 - 5,500 ft.) we find some mountain tops that have few or no trees at all. These are called balds. There are two very different types of balds: heath balds and grassy balds. Heath balds are mainly composed of woody shrubs such as mountain laurel, while grassy balds are composed of grass, mosses and other nonwoody plants. Plants and animals found on balds include: grasses white-tailed deer wild turkey sedges mountain laurel red-tailed hawk northern saw-whet owl eastern cottontail rabbit rhododendron eastern screech-owl meadow jumping mouse peregrine falcon

Spruce-Fir Forest At the highest elevations of the southern Appalachians, over 5,500 feet, we find spruce-fir forests. These are like the forests in southern Canada and the northern United States. In these forests we find: red spruce northern flying squirrel dark-eyed junco mountain ash yellow birch rhododendron yellow coneflower long-tailed weasel northern saw-whet owl black bear Fraser fir white-tailed deer cedar waxwing Appalachian cottontail rabbit mountain laurel red squirrel

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 3.1.6 April 2001 Mountain Community Cards

American beech black bear eastern box turtle

American beech black bear cedar waxwing

black bear eastern box turtle eastern cottontail rabbit

black bear eastern box turtle eastern hemlock

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 3.1.7 April 2001 Mountain Community Cards - Backing Sheet

Mountain Mountain Mountain Community Community Community Cards Cards Cards

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 3.1.8 April 2001 Mountain Community Cards

striped skunk gray squirrel meadow jumping mouse

Fraser fir gray squirrel mountain ash

grasses dark-eyed junco mountain laurel

gray squirrel long-tailed weasel mountain laurel

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 3.1.9 April 2001 Mountain Community Cards - Backing Sheet

Mountain Mountain Mountain Community Community Community Cards Cards Cards

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 3.1.10 April 2001 Mountain Community Cards

Appalachian cottontail rabbit pignut hickory red maple

Appalachian cottontail rabbit raccoon red spruce

northern flying squirrel raccoon red squirrel

peregrine falcon white pine red squirrel

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 3.1.11 April 2001 Mountain Community Cards - Backing Sheet

Mountain Mountain Mountain Community Community Community Cards Cards Cards

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 3.1.12 April 2001 Mountain Community Cards

red-tailed hawk rhododendron sedges

red oak northern saw-whet owl spotted salamander

red oak northern saw-whet owl sugar maple

rhododendron eastern screech-owl sugar maple

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 3.1.13 April 2001 Mountain Community Cards - Backing Sheet

Mountain Mountain Mountain Community Community Community Cards Cards Cards

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 3.1.14 April 2001 Mountain Community Cards

white oakwhite-tailed deer wild turkey

white-tailed deer white-tailed deer yellow birch

white-tailed deer yellow poplar yellow birch

white-tailed deer wild turkey yellow coneflower

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 3.1.15 April 2001 Mountain Community Cards - Backing Sheet

Mountain Mountain Mountain Community Community Community Cards Cards Cards

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 3.1.16 April 2001 Pre-Visit Activity #2 The Human Tree

Major Concepts: ¥ Tree anatomy and physiology ¥ Air pollution ¥ Insect pests ¥ Limiting factors Learning Skills: ¥ Observing, classifying, communicating and predicting ¥ Participating in creative interpretations ¥ Applying concepts and ideas Subject Areas: ¥ Science ¥ English Language Arts * See the Activity Summary for a Correlation with the DPI objectives in these subject areas. Location: A large indoor play space or outside area is recommended Group Size: 27 to 30 students Objectives: introduced to the limiting Estimated Time: 1 hour ¥ List three or more parts of factors that impact the Fraser Appropriate Season: Any a tree and describe their firs at Mt. Mitchell. A basic Materials: function. understanding of how trees Provided by the educator: ¥ List three limiting factors become sick will help the Per class: Slips of paper with that impact the Fraser firs students make sense of what names of tree parts, paper at Mt. Mitchell and they observe during their visit bag, ball of yarn or string to Mt. Mitchell State Park, or Per student: One copy of describe how each factor Student's Information affects the physiology of similar areas with spruce-fir the tree. forests. Credits: Adapted from Project Learning Tree: Envi- Educator’s Information: Important Note: The ronmental Education Activity This pre-visit activity information given in the Guide (Pre K-8), Activity #63, gives teachers a kinesthetic second simulation presents “Tree Factory,” pp. 223-227. strategy for introducing theories that scientists have important vocabulary words advanced to explain the used in the on-site activities. recent changes in the spruce- Students will participate in a fir forest. Forest ecologists, simulation to learn, or review, like medical doctors, do not basic tree anatomy and always agree on the diag- physiology. During a second noses and treatment of their simulation, students will be patients. This is especially

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 3.2.1 April 2001 true in trying to determine Leaves or needles (4), Limiting factors (3-5). If you have the effects of acid rain, a fewer that 27 students, adjust the numbers as necessary. relatively new phenomenon. Finally, make four “branches” for your tree by cutting yarn Laboratory studies demon- or string into four, six-foot (1.8 m) lengths. strate a variety of patholo- 2. Ask your students to compare a tree with a human. Make gies when trees and food a chart on the chalkboard or overhead. For example: crops are exposed to acid rain and/or ozone. However, Human Tree (Suggested Student Response) scientists are still investigat- Torso (Trunk) ing what is actually happen- Arms (Branches) ing to red spruce and Fraser firs in the environment of Legs (Roots) Mt. Mitchell. Many factors Hair/skin (Bark) such as pests, severe weather, Blood (Sap) logging and air pollution Arteries/veins (Tree’s pipes - sapwood & phloem) could be interacting in very Bones (skeleton) (Heartwood) complicated ways. Because our current knowledge is Stomach & Intestines (Leaves) limited, it is difficult to give Lungs (Stomata or holes in leaves) an accurate prognosis for the Mt. Mitchell spruce-fir The teacher should write human parts on the left side of forest. Will the trees the chart and solicit responses from the students for the right become sicker, as some side. If students have difficulties with this exercise, ask them scientists predict, or will the to read the Student’s Information to learn more about the forest recover? In this parts of a tree and try again. activity, we have attempted 3. Continue the comparison by asking students to list health to provide the teacher with problems or diseases that people can experience and relate simple explanations of these to problems that can affect trees. For example: complicated theories. We hope that our simulation will People's Health Problems Tree's Health Problems not frighten the children, or Broken bones Broken branches put undue emphasis on one Tooth decay Heart rot or other wood rot limiting factor over the others. Cancer Burl (looks like a wart on a tree) Instructions: Cut/wound Bark removed & sap dripping out 1. Study the Student’s Infor- Parasites (fleas, ticks, tapeworms, etc.) Termites, beetles, aphids, etc. mation; photocopy for your Cold/infection/virus attack Trees are attacked by bacteria, students if desired. Prepare a infection and viruses too slip of paper for each student by writing the name of a tree 4. Tell the students that they are going to create a human tree part on each slip. Use the by acting out the tree parts discussed in the Student’s Infor- following formula if you mation. First they will role-play a healthy tree and then they have 27-30 students in your will role-play a sick Fraser fir tree on top of Mt. Mitchell. class: Heartwood (1), Ask each student to pick a slip of paper (prepared earlier) Sapwood (2), Taproot (1), from the bag to find out what role they will play. Those Lateral roots (2), Cambium students who have a piece of paper that says “limiting (3), Phloem (5), Bark (7), factor” will help the teacher build the human tree in the first

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 3.2.2 April 2001 simulation and role-play a Have the roots make loud they do for the tree (make limiting factor that attacks sucking noises (the more food through photosynthe- the Fraser fir in the second disgusting the better). sis). Have the leaves flutter simulation. (Or, the teacher NOTE — Be sure to warn their hands and chant in could also ask the “limiting other students not to step high-pitched, high-energy factor” students to join the on the roots! voices, “We make food; we students who are role- make food.” 3. At this point you may want playing bark for the first the tree parts to practice their 5. Ask the leaves what simulation only.) roles simultaneously: happens to all the food they Simulation #1 — The Heartwood - “I support, I make using sunlight, air, and Healthy Tree: support.” Sapwood - “Gur- water (it gets transported to 1. Take your students to the gle, slurp. Gurgle, slurp. the rest of the tree). Ask large play space or outside Transport water.” Roots - everyone what part of the area. Ask them what tree “Shhlluuuck! Shhlluuuck!” tree transports the food from part supports the tree or acts the leaves to the rest of the like a skeleton for the tree tree (phloem). Have the (heartwood). The student “phloem” students join role-playing heartwood hands and form a large should stand center stage, circle around the sapwood. show off his/her muscles, Then have them simulate the and chant in a loud and role of the phloem by reach- powerful voice, “I support; I ing above their heads and support.” grabbing (for food), and 2. Ask students what tree then squatting and opening part transports water to all their hands (releasing the parts of the tree (sapwood). food) while chanting, “Food Have the sapwood students to the tree! Food to the tree!” join hands to form a small 6. Now, have the five groups circle around the heartwood. (heartwood, roots, sapwood, These students chant, phloem and leaves) chant “Gurgle, slurp. Gurgle, their roles one at a time. slurp. Transport water,” as they raise their joined hands 7. Ask students if they’ve up and down. Ask students left out an important part of where the water in the the tree. What layer produces sapwood comes from new sapwood and phloem to (absorbed by the roots). Ask keep the tree growing and the student role-playing the 4. Ask students where the healthy? (cambium) Have taproot to sit down with his/ water in the sapwood travels the “cambium” students her back against the sapwood. (to the leaves). Have the form a circle between the Next, ask the lateral roots to heartwood student hold the phloem and the sapwood. lie down on the ground with ends of the four “branches” Tell them to sway from side their feet toward the sapwood (pieces of yarn or string that to side and chant, “New and their arms and fingers you cut earlier). Give the phloem, new sapwood, and spread out to represent other end of each branch to cam-bee-um; new phloem, rootlets and root hairs. a student who represents new sapwood, and leaves. Ask the leaves what cam-bee-um.”

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 3.2.3 April 2001 8. Ask students what final in this skit.) The teacher than 100 miles per hour near component of their tree is should ask the lateral roots the top of Mt. Mitchell. missing — it’s something to reposition themselves by Bark, rub your arms and that protects the tree (bark). sitting against the sapwood legs and jog in place to try Have the “bark” students students (in a similar pose to and stay warm! OK, every- lock arms and form a circle the taproot) in order to avoid one playing a tree part, do that faces out from the center an accident. The “limiting your role-play, but give your of the tree. Ask them to look factor” students will role- chants in a very cold, shiv- tough. Have them march in play the various outside ery-sounding voice. One- place chanting, “We are agents that are attacking the two-three-ACTION! [Allow bark, please keep out.” Fraser fir tree. They should the students to role-play for Note: If the students are listen to the teacher’s direc- 30 to 60 seconds.] unable to lock arms, have tions and work as a group to 3. CUT! Everybody, stop them fold their arms across role-play one limiting factor action! The winds blew so their chests and swing the at a time. The goal is to hard this winter that a upper part of their bodies make the action look realistic, branch on the west side of from side to side, as if they but like real actors on TV or the tree broke off. [Remove are guarding the inside of in the movies, the students one of the branches/needles. the tree. Again, their feet should not actually hit or Ask the student role-playing should remain in one place hurt another actor. this branch/needle to join to prevent injury to the The teacher’s script the other students role- students role-playing the follows in regular type. playing limiting factors.] lateral roots! Additional directions to the Now it is summer time and 9. When the tree is completely teacher are given in italics lots of insects are flying assembled, have all students and brackets. around the tree. One insect act out and chant their parts, 2. When we visit Mt. in particular is a real pest. one group at a time, and then Mitchell State Park, we will Its name is the balsam simultaneously. see many dying or dead woolly adelgid. It was in- trees. The Fraser fir trees on troduced to North America Simulation #2 — Fraser Mt. Mitchell — and on other from Europe in the early Fir Under Attack: southern Appalachian peaks 1900s. Students playing 1. Once the students higher than 5,500 feet (1,675 limiting factors — you will understand how the tree meters) above sea level — now become the balsam parts work together in a are under attack from high woolly adelgids. Hold your healthy tree, they will role- winds, ice storms, drought, hands in front of you, palms play a tree under attack! insects, and air pollution. together, with your arms For this second simulation, The first limiting factor to straight to represent your the students will be creating affect the tree will be the beak or mouthpart. Try to a Fraser fir tree, one of the wind. stick your beak between the major forest trees above Winds, get in there and “bark” students in order to 5,500 feet on Mt. Mitchell. blow the needles around and feed on the phloem, cambi- Tell the students to stay make all the parts of the tree um and sapwood. While where they are and continue shiver from the cold. Make feeding, you are also inject- playing their assigned roles a noise that sounds like high ing your saliva into the tree. but to also listen and react to winds blowing. It is winter Make high-pitched sucking your directions. (The leaves time and the bitter winds are and spitting noises as you will actually become needles blowing at speeds of more feed on the tree! (Please don’t

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 3.2.4 April 2001 actually spit!) Bark, try to and the roots. Other students, Assessment: guard the tree, but remember, show me how stressed you Discuss what happened to you can’t move your feet or are by slowing down your the tree. Students can tell in slap the insects. Instead, use motions and whispering their own words what they your upper body to block your chants. One-two-three- experienced. their attack. The balsam ACTION! [Allow the stu- ¥ What was responsible for woolly adelgids can crawl dents 30 - 60 seconds to the death of the tree? (Really, around the tree to find a roleplay this new situation.] it was a combination of weak place in the bark. 5. CUT! It is summer again factors, rather than one limit- They might work together to and THEY’RE BAACCKK! ing factor working alone.) attack one particular spot. (The balsam woolly adelgids, ¥ Which limiting factors are Be tough bark, hang in I mean.) Adelgids, wake up there! OK, balsam woolly caused by people? (Air and feed on the tree like you pollution, and possibly, the adelgids attack and every- did before. This time the body do your chants. One- balsam woolly adelgids Fraser fir is very weak due since they were brought to two-three-ACTION! [Allow to exposure to air pollution students 30 - 60 seconds to this country from Europe by and a serious drought this people.) role-play this phase of the year. The saliva that the simulation.] adelgids have injected into ¥ What was realistic about 4. Cut! Stop action. Finally, the cambium is causing it to this simulation and what fall has arrived. The balsam produce a dark, dense brittle was not? (Trees do not talk; woolly adelgids are dor- type of wood. This wood the limiting factors often mant. Fortunately these acts like a plug and prevents attack the tree simultaneously, insect pests did not do much the tree from moving water not one at a time.) harm. The tree was healthy; through the sapwood. Nee- ¥ Ask students to predict the bark was tough. dles, you are drying up and how the following limiting Years go by. The Fraser dying because you can’t get factors might affect the fir survives wind storms, water. When I say, AC- various parts of a tree and snow storms, and drought, TION, I want the adelgids to their functions: fire, gypsy but now a mysterious enemy attack, the needles to fall off, moth caterpillars, ice storm, is coming — air pollution. the cambium to shrivel up lack of sunlight, poor soil. Scientists think there are and play dead. Sapwood Then have the students act out two types of air pollution and phloem, you will be si- their predictions to one of that can attack trees on Mt. lent to represent the fact that these situations with another Mitchell — ozone and acid you aren’t working. Roots, human tree simulation. rain. Both types of air slow down and make quieter Extensions: pollution may harm the sucking noises. Bark, be 1. Develop a play drama needles that make food for very weak. OK, one-two- about trees to perform for the tree. Acid rain may also three-ACTION! [Allow the another class. affect the soil so that tree students 30 - 60 seconds to roots can not absorb miner- role-play this final phase of 2. Make an art project, the als needed by the tree. the simulation.] centerpiece being the tree. Without enough food and Now, TREE COLLAPSE! 3. Read stories about trees minerals, the tree becomes such as The Lorax by Dr. weak or stressed. Students Suess or The Giving Tree by playing acid rain and ozone, Shel Silverstein. Write pretend to attack the needles stories of your own.

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 3.2.5 April 2001 Student’s Information

A tree has many parts to its ¥ Heartwood forms the body just like you do. When Roots central core of the tree, is all the parts are working well The roots anchor the tree made up of dense dead together, the tree is healthy. in the ground and absorb wood, and provides strength Sometimes things don’t water and minerals from the for the tree. It supports the work the way they should. soil. Trees have lateral tree like the bones in your Then the tree becomes sick roots that spread out from skeleton support your body. and may die. It’s important the tree and cover a broad ¥ Sapwood, also called that you know about healthy area. Some trees also have a the xylem (ZEYE-luhm), trees and how their parts taproot that grows straight represents the tree pipes that work, before you come to into the ground. The taproot bring water and minerals up Mt. Mitchell and see some and lateral roots branch into from the roots to the leaves. trees in trouble. smaller and smaller roots Older xylem cells become called rootlets. The rootlets part of the heartwood. Leaves or Needles themselves are covered by Leaves or Needles ¥ Cambium (KAM-bee- very small root hairs. Ninety- uhm) is a very thin layer of Leaves or needles (modi- five percent of the water and growing tissue that makes fied leaves) are the food minerals for the tree are new sapwood, phloem, and factories of a tree. Leaves absorbed by the root hairs! cambium every year. contain a green-colored pigment called chlorophyll Trunk and Branches ¥ Phloem (FLOW-uhm), which helps them capture also called the inner bark, light energy from the sun. The trunk and branches represents the pipes that Using this sun energy, the contain the tree’s “pipes” that carry sap (sugar and nutrients leaves change carbon diox- transport water and food dissolved in water) from the ide (the gas you exhale) and throughout the tree. The leaves to the rest of the tree. water into sugar (food for tree’s pipes are similar to the At certain times of the year, the tree) and oxygen (the gas arteries and veins in your phloem may also transport you breathe). This process body. If they are cut, broken sugars from the roots up to the is called photosynthesis. or clogged, the tree will die. rest of the tree. For example, The trunk and branches also in springtime, the sap of sugar contain a special growing maples rises from the roots layer that adds new tree and is tapped by people to pipes every year. Here’s a make maple syrup. look at a tree trunk (diagram ¥ Bark protects the tree left) and a from injuries caused by Bark description of what insects and other animals, by each layer does: other plants, by disease, and by fire. Bark is the tree’s skin Phloem (inner bark) — if too much is removed or damaged, the tree will die. Bark can be thin, thick, Cambium spongy, rough, smooth, or Sapwood (or xylem) covered with spines, Heartwood depending on the type of tree.

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 3.2.6 April 2001 Pre-Visit Activity #3 Acid from the Skies

Major Concepts: illustration, masking tape, ¥ Draw or list two sources ¥ Acidity and pH drawing paper, crayons or of acid rain. ¥ Acid rain formation markers, 10-20 balloons ¥ Given a list of terms, ¥ Effects of acid deposition filled with colored paper correctly label a diagram on plants punches and inflated, sharp depicting acid rain pin, six (or more) healthy Learning Skills: potted plants of the same formation and its possible ¥ Observing, communicating, type and age, three one-gal- effects. experimenting and lon containers with lids, tap predicting water, three measuring cups. Educator’s Information: ¥ Measuring, averaging and Optional: litmus paper, graph n this activity, students graphing paper, calculators, camera will simulate the effects ¥ Applying and expanding and film, or videocamera. I of acid rain on a variety of information Credits: Adapted in part from Project A.I.R.E. — Air objects by experimenting Subject Areas: Information Resources for with household acids and ¥ Science Education, “Acid Rain and uncooked eggs, pennies, and ¥ Social Studies Plants,” pp. 127-129. ¥ Mathematics plants. Information on pH ¥ English Language Arts was not included in the * See the Activity Summary Objectives: Student’s Information so for a Correlation with the ¥ Predict and observe the that teachers of younger DPI objectives in these effects of household acids students could use this subject areas. on nonliving objects and activity as written. Teachers Location: Classroom plants inside the class- of older or high-ability room. students can add information Appropriate Season: Any ¥ Using experimental about acidity and pH by Group Size: 20 to 30 students results, predict how acid photocopying and presenting rain might affect living the information from page Estimated Time: First day — and nonliving things in 4.1.4 of this EELE. A 30 minutes; second day — 60 the environment outside discussion of pH as part of minutes; third day — 30 the classroom. this pre-visit activity would minutes; the next two to three weeks — 10 to 15 minute spots every three or four days to water plants and make observations.

Materials: Provided by the educator: Per student: One copy of Student's Information and Acid Rain Tracking worksheet Per class: Eight jars (6-10 ounce size), one-gallon bottle of vinegar, one pint of milk, 16 ounces of cola, ten or more pennies, fiveuncooked eggs, Acid Rain Tracking

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 3.3.1 April 2001 be especially could discuss the infor- helpful if the mation on pH and acidity teacher plans to (page 4.1.4 of this EELE). conduct On-site If litmus paper is available, Activity #1— the educator should have during which older students find the pH of students will each test solution before measure the pH predicting results. of the soil at some hypotheses in various sites on 2. The educator should fill favor of others. Acid two jars with vinegar, two Mt. Mitchell. rain research and other Additional sug- with cola, two with milk, atmospheric studies are and two with tap gestions are given for older part of the exciting science students throughout the water. The frontier, which illustrates educator should teacher instructions in this well the principles described activity. also label each under “Nature of Science” jar according The plants used in the (DPI Science Goals). second experiment in this to the liquid it activity should be healthy contains. and of the same age. Instructions: Ask students to make Students could use plants FIRST DAY observations that they have grown from 1. Tell the students that they seeds. This would be less of each will be doing activities over liquid by expensive than purchasing the next few weeks that will full-grown plants, and more looking, teach them about acid rain. touching, plants would be available In the first experiment, they for averaging results. This and smelling. will observe what acids can Show the experiment presents a good do to pennies and uncooked opportunity for older students the five eggs and eggs. For younger students, the pennies; allow them to students to practice skills of the educator could define formulating a hypothesis, observe these objects and acid very simply by saying discuss observations. Then controlling variables, and that an acid is a solution that interpreting data. ask the students to predict reacts with things or changes what they think will happen Important Note: In them. In our experiment to each object if it is soaked presenting information on today, we will use common overnight in each test acid rain and its possible acids you have at home — solution. The educator effects on trees and forests, vinegar, cola, and milk. For could record the students’ the teacher should stress the older students, the educator predictions on the tentative nature of science. chalkboard in chart form. The information given in this activity highlights For example: current theories on acid deposition that scientists are now testing. As new data is collected from Mt. Mitchell, and other places in the world, scientists may reject

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 3.3.2 April 2001 Test Solutions Predictions for Egg Predictions for Pennies

Vinegar

Cola

Milk

Tap water

3. Finally, the educator 2. Ask students to carefully Ask the students which of should place one egg in each observe the objects soaked the test solutions were the test solution (four eggs in overnight in the test solu- strongest acids (caused the all). Also place several tions and compare them to greatest changes)? Which pennies in each of the four the objects that were not were the weakest acids solutions (in the four soaked. (In the vinegar jars, (caused the smallest remaining jars, separately the egg’s shell should have changes)? Note to the from the eggs). The fifth egg dissolved and the pennies teacher: The pH of each and a few pennies should be should have turned black. solution is given on page left as “controls” so that The other solutions were 4.1.4. The lower the pH, the students can compare them weaker acids and less stronger the acid. Vinegar is with the items soaked in the dramatic changes will be the most acidic of the test test solutions. observed.) Compare the solutions with a pH of results with students’ predic- around 2.25. Depending on SECOND DAY tions written on the chalk- your location, tap water may 1. Prepare the Acid Rain board. Were any of their be close to neutral with a pH Tracking illustration (page predictions correct? of 7, or it could be a very 3.3.10) by making an 3. Ask students to make weak acid, similar to milk, overhead transparency or inferences to explain what with a pH between 6 and 7. sketching it on the happened. Where did the 4. Now relate the students’ chalkboard before class eggshell go? Why did experiences with acids in begins. Photocopy the the penny turn black? the classroom to acid Student’s Information in this Here is a simple rain in the environ- activity as needed. explanation for ment outside the class- younger students: room. Use the Acid The solutions they Rain Tracking illus- used in the experi- VINEGAR tration and the ment were acids. Student’s Information Acid reacts with the in this activity to calcium in the egg- explain where the acid shell and dissolves it. in our atmosphere Acid reacts with the comes from and how it Acid Rain Tracking — Illustration copper in pennies may affect the envi- and turns them black. ronment. Be sure to

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 3.3.3 April 2001 explain that scientists are paper mills, factories, power backs. Spread the students still studying the effects of plants, cars, fires, furnaces, around the classroom, acid rain and other types of wood stoves, lawn mowers, interspersing the acid rain air pollution on trees, gasoline tools, boats, etc.) producers with things that are forests, animals and soils. Using the illustration, discuss affected by acid rain. The ideas presented in the how the sulfur dioxide and Announce that they will play chart represent some of the nitrogen oxides get into the the acid rain balloon game. theories about acid rain that atmosphere, how they react scientists are currently with water vapor to produce testing (tentative nature of sulfuric and nitric acids, science). and how they return to For older students: You earth in the rain, may want to supplement the snow, fog, or Student’s Information with humidity. the following information on 6. Discuss pH. Normal rain has a pH things, both of about 5.4. This is about living and 8. Explain that the balloons 50 to 100 times more acidic nonliving, that could be will represent clouds contain- than distilled water with a affected by acid rain. ing nitric and sulfuric acids. pH of 7. The acidity in (Examples: lakes, trees, The object of the game is to normal rain results from the plants, mountains, rivers, fish, keep the balloons in the air reaction of atmospheric birds, statues, objects made of and away from you! Each carbon dioxide with water metal, soils, etc.) List these student should call out what vapor to form carbonic acid, on the chalk- they represent whenever they a weak acid. board or bat an acid rain balloon away (Carbon overhead under from themselves to another dioxide is the the heading person. To start the game, gas we exhale “Affected by Acid give a balloon filled with pa- and is also produced Rain.” Encourage per punches to each of the whenever fossil fuels are students to apply the students portraying an acid burned.) Most acid deposi- results of their classroom rain producer. They should tion has a pH between 4.6 experiment to the larger and 5.4, but scientists have environment. measured pH values in acid rain in the eastern United 7. Pass out drawing paper States as low as 2.1. This is and crayons or markers. almost 100,000 times more Half of the students should acidic than distilled water! draw something from the “Acid Rain Producer” list 5. Ask the students to give and the other half should you examples of things that draw something from the burn fossil fuels to generate “Affected by Acid Rain” power or to produce list. Allow only five products. List these on the minutes for completion of chalkboard or overhead these drawings; then help under the heading “Acid the students tape their Rain Producers.” (Examples: pictures to their chests or

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 3.3.4 April 2001 bat their balloons towards a container and their measur- 4. Give each team two or person portraying something ing cup, “tap water.” more plants and have them affected by acid rain. When 2. Have another team fill label the plants the same as the teacher is ready to end their container with one pint their container. Make each the game, say “the clouds (0.5 liters) of vinegar and team responsible for are about to release their seven pints (3.3 liters) of tap watering their plants from acid deposition onto the water. Use masking tape to the container with the land, lakes, trees, plants, and label the container and matching label. people.” Pop the balloons measuring cup, “slightly Older students should one at a time with a sharp acidic.” Older students write a hypothesis in which pin, allowing the paper could find the pH of this they predict how varying punches to fall on the stu- water and write it on the amounts of acid will affect dents. label. the plants. They should also discuss the importance of 3. Have the third team fill controlling variables such as DAY THREE (and for the their container with two light, heat, humidity, etc. next two to three weeks) pints (0.9 liters) of vinegar For example, why should we and six pints (2.8 liters) of 1. Divide the class into three place all the plants in the teams. Give each team a one- tap water. Have them use same area of the classroom? gallon container with a lid masking tape to label the (To ensure that they get the container and measuring and a measuring cup. Have same amount of light and cup, “very acidic.” Again one team fill their container heat.) Students should water older students could find the with one gallon (3.8 liters) of the plants when they need it tap water. They can use pH and write it on the label. (every two to four days). It masking tape to label the is very important that plants

VINEGAR

Slightly Acidic

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 3.3.5 April 2001 in all three groups get the hypothesis before experiment- ¥ Why is it difficult to same amount of water in ing, should they accept or determine exactly what each watering cycle (use reject their original hypothesis acid rain is doing to plants measuring cups). Have based on their experimental and animals in the environ- team members observe their data or observations? If they ment outside the classroom? plants every day and write were going to try this Answer: Too many vari- these observations in a chart experiment again, would they ables; it is hard to separate or journal — color, leaf change any of their experi- one factor from another. The condition, overall health, mental methods? What do various factors may interact etc. For older students, they think would happen if with each other in ways that consider quantitative they used a different kind of are difficult to study. For measurements, too. For plant? Would their results be example, acid rain may example, measure and the same? weaken a plant’s resistance to record the height of each 6. Ask students to apply the pests. The pests alone may plant on the watering days. results of their plant not be able to kill the plant, Plant #1 experiment to outdoor but in the presence of acid plants. Point out that rain, the plant may succumb although this activity gives to the pests. Without very an indication of how acid careful study, it may look as rain could affect plant life if only the insects killed the outside the classroom envi- plant, when in fact, both HEIGHT ronment, outdoor plants insects and acid rain were might not react in the same necessary. DAY # ways as the indoor plants. ¥ How do the plants and It would also be helpful to Discussion Questions: the environment of Mt. have a photographic or Mitchell differ from those video record of the plants ¥ How are conditions in your classroom over time. Another idea is outside the classroom experiment? to measure the pH of the soil unlike the conditions in the classroom? Answer: The climate on at the start and end of the Mt. Mitchell is very cold experiment to determine any Answer: Outdoor plants and damp. The mountain is cumulative effects of acid may be exposed to acid rain enveloped in clouds eight rain on soil. on their leaves or needles out of every ten days. 5. Continue this activity for whereas the indoor plants Although the acidity of the two to three weeks. Have may have been watered so students summarize their that only the soil was in observations and write con- direct contact with the acidic clusions. (This may involve water. Outdoor plants may making inferences from their be hit with acid rain infre- observations.) If they have quently, rather than every recorded measurements, find few days, like the indoor an average for each experimental plants. Out- experimental group on each door plants may be attacked measuring day. Graph the by insects, bacteria, and results (for example, height temperature extremes while vs. time) for each group and the indoor plants were compare. If they wrote a protected from these things.

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 3.3.6 April 2001 clouds is not always as great rain and its role in forest de- Classify impacts as environ- as the acidity of the solutions cline. Why might this be? mental, economic, social, or used to water your classroom They use different method- political. Predict future plants, the trees on the ologies and equipment in changes that are likely to mountain may be bathed in studying the problem. There occur if nothing is done to acid rain or fog much of their may also be more than one reduce the formation of acid lives. If you performed the logical interpretation for a deposition. List ways that experiment again, you might given set of field data. individuals and governments consider spraying the plants Why do we say that could work together to with the solutions, in addi- science is tentative? New reduce air pollution and the tion to watering them, to research may reveal new damage to human health and simulate acid fog. Also, things that necessitate the environment. trees on Mt. Mitchell are changes in our working Assessment: exposed to ice storms in the theories or hypotheses about Use the “Acid Rain winter and insect pests such acid rain and forest decline. Tracking” worksheet as the balsam woolly We must always be ready to (unlabelled version of the adelgid. Your classroom change our theories in the Acid Rain Tracking plants were not exposed to a light of new discoveries. illustration) to check the harsh climate or insect pests. Being tentative means being students’ understanding of The soil on the mountain willing to accept new and theories regarding acid rain may be very different from changing information. the soil you used in your formation and effects. experiment. Of course, the 8. Ask students to assess the Provide the following terms kinds of plants on Mt. possible impacts of acid rain on the chalkboard or overhead Mitchell are different from on their community, state, and ask the students to label the plants you used in your nation, or another country. the worksheet: experiment. You may have (This may involve some ¥ acid rain library research, interviews used a broad-leafed plant ¥ acid snow rather than a tree with with local officials, and ¥ aquatic animals affected needles. The plants on Mt. possibly their own inferences Mitchell might be more, or based on observations that ¥ changes in the soil less sensitive to acid rain they make of rain or outdoor ¥ trees’ leaves and roots than your experimental plants in their community.) affected (hint: requires plants. two lines on chart) 7. Older students could ¥ nitrogen & sulfur oxides research (magazine articles form nitric & sulfuric or Internet search) to find out acids (hint: requires two about current scientific lines on chart) studies on acid deposition. ¥ prevailing wind Discuss difficulties scientists ¥ spring runoff have when conducting field research and how scientists ¥ sulfur dioxide attempt to model natural ¥ nitrogen oxides systems in laboratories or greenhouses. Students will find that scientists have different opinions about acid

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 3.3.7 April 2001 Student’s Information

ou have just com- for many miles, crossing rain may weaken trees and pleted a simple regional and international other plants by harming their experiment to learn boundaries, before falling to leaves and root systems. Y about common earth as acid rain. For Some scientists think trees acids and their effects on example, scientists think that exposed to acid rain may be pennies and eggs. There are most of the acid deposition in more easily attacked by pests acids in the air and clouds the eastern United States and diseases. The harmful above us, too. Scientists and Canada comes from effects of acid refer to the acids that fall power plants in the rain on plants and from the skies as acid Midwest that release animals may not precipitation, or acid depo- large amounts of always be directly sition. Acid deposition sulfur dioxide. caused by the acidity. includes any rain, snow, The effects of acid rain There may be indirect sleet, fog, dust, or humidity are not always easy to effects that scientists are just with acidity levels similar to observe. At first glance, a beginning to investigate. soft drinks (like cola) and lake may look clear and For example, acid rain may vinegar. Normal rain is a beautiful, but looks can be change the soil by releasing much weaker acid, with an deceiving. Years of exposure poisonous metals, such as acidity level somewhere to acid rain will increase the aluminum and mercury, between milk and cola. acidity levels of the lake, and by washing away Scientists are just beginning interrupting the normal valuable plant nutrients, to study the effects of acid decomposition process. such as calcium. The deposition and to test Dead plants and animals “released” aluminum may various theories about how it settle to the bottom, making interfere with a plant’s may affect the environment. the water look crystal clear, ability to absorb nutrients Nearly 95 percent but nothing is alive! If through its roots. The of the acid acidity levels of lakes “released” mercury may be deposition and streams are taken up by plants and then comes from two increased even a eaten by animals. Mercury, gases — sulfur small amount, some which is stored in the fatty dioxide and species of fish tissues of animals, can be nitrogen oxides. The cannot reproduce. passed on through the food water vapor in the Spring runoff from acid chain affecting many more atmosphere reacts with these snow could increase the animals. gases to make sulfuric and acidity of lakes and streams There is much more for us nitric acids. Sulfur at the very time that fish are to learn about acid deposition dioxide is usually produced trying to reproduce. Clams, and its long-term effect on when coal, containing sulfur, snails, crayfish, bullfrogs and plants, animals, people, and is burned as a fuel in power many insects are especially soil. If you were a scientist, plants that generate sensitive to higher acidity what kinds of experiments electricity. Nitrogen oxides levels. If these smaller would you do to investigate are produced by cars, trucks, animals die, birds and acid rain? Would you do and buses. Like sulfur mammals that depend on laboratory dioxide, nitrogen oxides can them for food are also studies or be transported by the wind affected. Over time, acid field studies?

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 3.3.8 April 2001 Acid Rain Tracking — Worksheet

➱ April 2001 ➱

3.3.9

➱

➱ ➱

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC Acid Rain Tracking — Illustration

➱ April 2001 prevailing wind ➱

nitrogen & sulfur oxides form nitric & sulfuric acids acid snow

sulfur dioxide

acid rain

3.3.10 nitrogen oxides

spring runoff

trees’ leaves and ➱

changes in soil ➱ roots affected ➱

aquatic animals affected

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC Pre-Visit Activity #4 Invasion of the Alien Adelgid

Major Concepts: Objectives: simulate a fir tree with sap- ¥ Native and exotic species ¥ Define exotic species and wood or xylem damaged by ¥ Invasive exotic species explain how invasive the insect. Students will also ¥ Balsam woolly adelgid exotics threaten native read about and discuss the plants and animals. adelgid’s impact on the entire Learning Skills: ¥ Identify one invasive spruce-fir forest ecosystem. ¥ Observing, inferring, pre- exotic species at Mt. dicting, communicating Exotic, native and inva- ¥ Applying concepts and Mitchell State Park. sive species are defined in the ideas ¥ Participate in an activity Student’s Information and the Subject Areas: that demonstrates the Vocabulary section of this ¥ Science physiological effects of the EELE. balsam woolly adelgid on ¥ English Language Arts Pre-Visit Activity #2, “The ¥ Social Studies Fraser firs. Human Tree,” is recommend- * See the Activity Summary ¥ List the effects of the for a Correlation with the ed as a companion to this ac- balsam woolly adelgid on DPI objectives in these tivity. Pre-Visit #2 introduces subject areas. the spruce-fir forest ecosystem. students to terms describing Location: Indoors or outdoors tree physiology. at tables Educator’s Information: Group Size: 1 - 30 students n this activity, students will Estimated Time: 45 minutes Iparticipate in a simulation Appropriate Season: Any that shows how the balsam woolly adelgid damages Materials: Provided by the educator: Fraser fir trees. By sucking Adult adelgids are covered Per class: 4 gallons of water water through soda straws with a substance that looks Per student: One paper cup, with holes, students will like white wool. one straw, one push pin, one copy of Student's Information Credits: Adapted from The National Park Service’s Smoky Mountain Classrooms — Clingmans Dome Classroom, “Balsam Woolly Adelgid Dem- onstration,” p. 21. Illustrations copied with permission from A Naturalist’s Notebook, illustrated by John D. Dawson.

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 3.4.1 April 2001 Instructions: ence with the tree’s. (This Assessment: 1. Study the Student’s simulates a Fraser fir tree ¥ Define exotic species, Information in this activity when it is initially attacked giving one example. In and in Pre-Visit Activity #2. by a few adelgids and first general, how do invasive If desired, identify websites begins to form the impervi- exotics threaten native that address invasive exotic ous layer of wood that even- plants and animals? tually clogs the xylem.) species to provide more ¥ Explain what happens when examples for your students. 7. Now ask the students to a Fraser fir tree is attacked by 2. Distribute photocopies of poke 5-10 holes in the the balsam woolly adelgid. middle of the straw. Is it the Student’s Information to ¥ Compare the effects on a more or less difficult to get your students and discuss. tree with only a few adelgids the water now? Predict the 3. Give each student a small with those on a tree that is effect of lack of water on the paper cup with water in it, a heavily infested. needles of the tree. How straw, and a push pin. Note: might this affect the tree’s ¥ Describe several effects of If you want students to write ability to photosynthesize? the balsam woolly adelgid their observations during this (This simulates a tree that is on the spruce-fir forest exercise, provide pencil and more heavily infested for a ecosystem. paper now. longer period of time. As Extensions: 4. Tell the students that the the layer of premature straws simulate the tree’s heartwood becomes more 1. Choose an invasive exotic sapwood or xylem, which and more dense, the flow of species that has affected your transports water and water and nutrients becomes area. Write a report or create nutrients from the roots to much more difficult for the a poster or other art project to the rest of the tree. In this tree. The tree is under a lot educate others. activity, they will discover of stress!) 2. Make a map showing the how the tree’s ability to 8. Ask the students to poke location of fir trees in the U.S. conduct water is affected by the straw full of holes and and Canada. Research how the balsam woolly adelgid. try drinking through the the balsam woolly adelgid has 5. Ask each student to insert straw once again. Any luck? affected these countries the straw into the cup and What does this simulate? economically. Or, map the drink a small amount of (The flow of nutrients and location of silver fir trees in water. Pay attention to how water has been completely Europe, the balsam woolly easy it is to pull the water up disrupted and the tree is adelgid’s native habitat. the straw. Compare to a destined for death.) Find out more about insect healthy tree. (This simulates pests in other countries. a fir tree with healthy xylem; water and nutrients are conducted easily.) 6. Ask the students to use the push pin to poke 1-3 holes in the middle of the straw. Ask them to drink through the straw again. Is it easier or harder to drink water through the straw with holes in it? Again, compare your experi-

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 3.4.2 April 2001 Student’s Information:

n this activity, you’ll learn die and are gradually replaced has killed at least 80 percent I more about the balsam by the alien invaders. of the mature Fraser firs in woolly adelgid, an insect An example of an invasive the area. Once a tree is at- pest that has killed most of exotic plant is kudzu, the tacked, death occurs in two to the mature Fraser fir trees on “vine that ate the South.” nine years. Only firs are af- Mt. Mitchell. You will take Kudzu kills the native plants fected; red spruce and other part in a simulation to by growing over them and trees are not harmed by the discover how this alien stealing the sunlight. insect. adelgid attacks and kills our The Life of the Insect native firs. But first, some The balsam woolly adel- definitions ... gid is an invasive exotic ani- The balsam woolly adelgid mal. It kills fir trees while is spherical and less than a Definitions feeding on the tree’s sap. millimeter in length. (It is about as long as your A native species is a plant Balsam Woolly Adelgid fingernail is thick.) It is a orLeaves animal or that Needles lives naturally parasite — it feeds on other in a particular habitat or geo- Where Did It Come From? living things. This wingless graphic area. It occurs there The balsam woolly adelgid insect relies on wind currents without the help of humans. was accidently introduced to spread from tree to tree. For example, Fraser fir trees from Europe. It appeared on The adelgid population are a native species of Mt. trees in plant nurseries in consists entirely of females Mitchell and other peaks in the New England during the ear- that reproduce without southern Appalachians. ly 1900s. In its native Eu- mating. In its short lifetime, rope, the adelgid preys on An alien or exotic species is each female can produce European silver fir trees, but a plant or animal that occurs more than 200 eggs. Two or doesn't cause much damage. outside its native habitat or three generations can mature It is kept under control by range. It was brought to new in one season. The eggs natural predators and the nat- areas by humans, accidently or hatch into “crawlers,” the only ural resistence of the silver deliberately. Most exotic spe- stage capable of movement. firs. cies, such as our food crops, Crawlers can’t crawl very far, were deliberately introduced By 1908, the balsam wool- and have been very helpful to ly adelgid had spread humans. across the Northeast However, a few exotic spe- and killed many cies are very harmful to native balsam fir trees in plants and animals. We call Maine and Maritime them invasive species because Canada. they aggressively invade new The adelgid areas, far beyond where they eventually spread were introduced. Native to the southern plants and animals are unable Appalachians. It to compete with these invaders was first observed for sunlight, food and water. on Mt. Mitchell in As a result, the native species 1957. Since then, it

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 3.4.3 April 2001 What Is Being Done Woolly mass of adult about the Adelgid? females Currently, at Mt. Mitchell State Park, no active control measures are being used to kill the balsam woolly adelgid. In the 1960s and early 1970s, a 450-acre area of the park was treated with an Adult female insecticide called Lindane. laying eggs Using an hydraulic sprayer, the N.C. Forest Service and N.C. State Parks personnel Crawler sprayed the trunks and major branches of every infested tree in this area. Unfortunately, this approach but can be blown by the wind The xylem transports water was not very effective in from one tree to another. and nutrients from the roots stopping the adelgid. to the rest of the tree. If the Each crawler has a slender, The National Park threadlike mouthpart called a xylem becomes clogged, the tree slowly chokes to death. Service has tried to control stylet. It sticks the stylet into the pest by spraying Fraser the bark of a fir tree and Harsh weather and air fir trees with a fatty acid feeds by sucking plant juices. pollution make the trees soap. The soap is made While feeding, the crawler even more likely to be from plant and animal fats matures into an adult and damaged by the adelgid. and oils. It kills the adelgid never moves again. without harming humans Adults produce a and is safer for the protective covering that looks environment than other like white wool. When lots pesticides. Fire pumper of adults are feeding together, trucks with high-pressure the woolly mass is easily sprayers do the job. Only seen on the tree’s trunk or those trees located along branches. roadsides can be sprayed for the adelgid in this way. Also How Does the Adelgid the trees may have to be Actually Kill the Tree? sprayed more than once. When the adelgid sticks This is an expensive method its stylet into the tree, it also that saves only a few trees. injects a substance to help it So far, no one has found a feed. The tree has an safe, effective and “allergic reaction” to this inexpensive method to battle substance. The tree reacts by The crawler sticks its stylet this invasive exotic pest. making a layer of wood that into the tree to feed on plant clogs the sapwood or xylem. juices.

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 3.4.4 April 2001 1. Food: Many wildlife little doubt that other organisms The Future species that depend on fir will also perish. The biodiver- cones and seeds for food can sity of the spruce-fir forest will The spruce-fir forest is a no longer live or reproduce in continue to decrease over time. natural community where this ecosystem. Biodiversity (or biological di- many plants and animals versity) refers to the variety depend on each other for 2. Moisture: Without fir and complexity of living survival. The unique spruce- trees to collect rain and fog, things in a natural community. fir forest is home to dozens of many species of wildlife, species of plants and animals flowers, mosses and ferns no There is reason for hope, that live nowhere else on longer have the moist however. When you visit Mt. earth. Seven bird species and conditions they need to Mitchell, you will see that some 45 species of plants live survive. many young firs have escaped only in the spruce-fir forest 3. Sunlight: The death of the the initial attack of the adel- community. Many of the fir trees has allowed more gids. Some of these trees have plants are listed as rare and sunlight into the forest. As a now reached the cone-bearing endangered. result, a dense growth of age of 16 to 20 years. New generations of trees have a An ecosystem includes the briars and shrubs has invaded chance to survive if they can community of living things many areas. This change in develop natural resistance to and its interaction with the the habitat now makes it more the balsam woolly adelgid. Or nonliving parts of the difficult for new Fraser firs perhaps you will be the scien- environment. The loss of the and other young trees to grow. tist who develops a safe and Fraser fir has had a big impact If both spruce and fir trees effective method of treating on the spruce-fir ecosystem: continue to decline, there is the alien adelgid?

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 3.4.5 April 2001 On-Site Activity #1 Meet A Tree

Objectives: Major Concepts: ¥ Spruce-fir forest ecology ¥ Identify the four most ¥ Plot sampling methods common trees on Mount ¥ Soil pH Mitchell. ¥ Determine the number of Learning Skills: ¥ Observing, classifying and trees in a plot. communicating ¥ Measure each tree’s diam- ¥ Interpreting data and mak- eter at 4 1/2 feet above ing inferences the ground. ¥ Measuring ¥ Determine soil pH. Subject Areas: Educator’s Information: ¥ Science ¥ English Language Arts he students will record in- ¥ Mathematics * See Activity Summary for Tformation about the plants a Correlation with DPI and soil found within assigned Special Considerations: objectives in these subject plots along the Balsam Trail. This activity requires a short areas. hike along a trail. Students with Using the Alpine Forest physical disabilities should have Location: Fact Sheet, each student team no problem getting to the site, Mount Mitchell State Park, will identify the different plant but may have difficulty with Balsam Trail species within their plot. They the activity as it occurs on the will also estimate the diam- uneven ground along a trail. It Group Size: 30 or smaller; is recommended that students students should be separated eter of each live tree and determine the soil pH in their wear sturdy shoes, a hat with a into groups of three visor, old clothes and sunscreen. plot. The teams will share Be prepared for rainy, cool Estimated Time: 1 hour their data with the rest of the weather and dress accordingly. class. Together, they will Appropriate Season: Late spring to late fall summarize what they learned Instructions: about Mt. Mitchell’s alpine 1. Students should read the Materials: forest. Student’s Information, the Provided by the park: Per group: string, litmus pa- Alpine Forest Fact Sheet, and per, litmus color chart, dis- the instructions on the Alpine tilled water, paper cups, Forest Worksheet before arriv- pencils, clipboards, ruler, ing at the park. If possible, the map of the Balsam Trail students should practice mea- Provided by the educator: Per group: Alpine Forest Fact suring the diameter of different Sheet, Alpine Forest trees on the school grounds as Worksheet, calculator, pen- explained in the worksheet cils instructions. Per class: Poster-size Alpine Forest Data Summary Table 2. Make a poster-sized Alpine Forest Data Summary Table.” litmus (See page 4.1.11.) Divide the paper class into groups or teams of

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 4.1.1 April 2001 three. The teacher may wish conditions. The weather Assessment: to assign specific roles to gauges are located in the After all the data is individual group members, breezeway of the concession collected and worksheets are such as data recorder (records stand. completed, gather the students data and does calculations), 5. Assign each group a together at the concession soil scientist (determines soil number. These numbers stand area to discuss each pH), and forester (identifies correspond to numbered posts group’s results. Write these and measures trees). Although along the Balsam Trail. The results on the Alpine Forest group members will work post will be the center of that Data Summary Table. together as a team to accom- group’s plot. As a class, have the plish the tasks described on the 6. Have the groups locate their students answer the worksheet, individual pre-assigned numbered post on discussion questions on page members could take respon- the Balsam Trail map. After 4.1.11. sibility for organizing and the students locate their post on Extensions: conducting specific tasks. the map, the students must find Give the groups time to read their assigned post on the trail. At the park: the worksheet instructions together and discuss how they 7. Each group of students Visit the park’s natural his- will get their work done while should have a 15-foot section tory museum and hike to the at Mt. Mitchell. Make sure of string. With one student observation tower. (data recorder) holding the students read the warning Back at the school: about dead trees and discuss end of the string on the post, another student will pull the 1. Lay out plots in a forest how to work safely around near your school. Collect data them. string tight so that he or she is standing 15 feet from the post. like that on the Alpine Forest 3. Upon arriving at the summit After noting where he or she Worksheet. Complete a large parking area, a restroom break started, the student will make data summary table, similar to is suggested before beginning a circle around the post while the Alpine Forest Data Sum- the on-site activity. After the holding onto the string. Every mary Table, and compare the break, ask the students to get time the string touches a tree, forest near your school to the into their groups. Work with the students will record what forest on Mount Mitchell. the park ranger to distribute species of tree it is on the 2. Determine the total area of the necessary materials (see Alpine Forest Worksheet. your plot. Materials, page 4.1.1). STUDENTS SHOULD BE 8. When the string touches a Area = pi x radius squared CAUTIONED NOT TO tree, the students will also Answer: The string length (15 TOUCH DEAD TREES measure the diameter of the feet) is the radius of the circle. DURING THEIR PLOT tree, by taking the ruler and Fifteen squared (15 x 15) = 225. STUDY! holding it at eye level (approx- 225 x pi (3.14) = 706.5 sq. ft. imately 4 1/2 feet from the 3. Complete the Alpine Forest 4. Have each group complete ground) against the tree. They Worksheet and Alpine Forest the top portion of their Alpine will record the estimated Data Summary Table a second Forest Worksheet and answer diameter on their worksheet. question #1 about the weather time using the metric system.

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 4.1.2 April 2001 Student’s Information

cology is defined A natural community includes alpine (high elevation) forest as the study of the all the plant and animal popu- in North Carolina. relationships be- lations that interact with each The climate is one of the EEtween organisms other and share a common en- major environmental factors and their environments. The vironment. Usually a natural that affects the natural environment includes both liv- community is named for the community on top of Mount ing and nonliving things. For most abundant trees, or other Mitchell. Due to the high example, the environment plants in that environment. elevation, the climate on of a tree includes the air that The spruce-fir forest, for Mount Mitchell is very similar surrounds it, the weather that example, is named for the to that of southern Canada. affects it, the animals that eat dominant trees (red spruce Peaks in the southern it or nest in it, the soil beneath and Fraser fir) that live in Appalachians above 5,500 feet it, and the other plants that live this natural community. are high enough that they have nearby. The relationships of However, the spruce-fir a dramatically different the tree to its environment are forest contains many climate than the rest of the constantly changing. The tree other plants, such as state. The air is thinner itself changes as it grows mountain ash and and colder, and the older. yellow birch, as well winters are cold and The tree belongs to a natu- as an assortment of long. In fact, one of the ral community just as you animals. The spruce- coldest temperatures belong to a human community. fir forest is the ever recorded in North

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 4.1.3 April 2001 Carolina was on Mount we eat or drink has a pH and changed dramatically in the Mitchell in January of 1985. so does the soil at your feet. past 20 years. Some of the rain The thermometer reached -34 Scientists use the pH scale to falling on Mount Mitchell has degrees Fahrenheit. define degrees of acidity. The had a pH as low as 3. This Winds of 100 miles per scale is represented by means that the rainwater is hour are common in the winter. numbers from 1 to 14. A pH very acidic, which is why it is The winds on Mount Mitchell of 1 is extremely acidic, while called acid rain. This type of usually come out of the west. a pH of 14 is extremely non- rain also affects the pH of the You can infer this from the acidic, or basic. A pH of 7 is soil, making it more acidic as shape of the trees. Instead of neutral, neither acidic nor well. Many scientists believe being cone-shaped like basic. Pure water has a neutral that as the soil becomes more Christmas trees, the trees on pH of 7. Some examples of acidic, the trees growing on Mount Mitchell have short the pH of common things Mount Mitchell, and in other branches on the west side and around you include: alpine forests worldwide, will longer branches on the east Vinegar pH of 2.25 become sick and die. side. Branches on the west Cola pH of 4 What causes acid rain? side of the tree where the wind Rain pH of 5.4 Sometimes nature makes acid is strongest get broken, while Milk pH of 6.5 rain when a volcano belches those branches growing away Sea water pH of 7.5 out sulfur dioxide gas, which from the prevailing wind are pH Scale mixes with rainwater. But protected by the tree’s trunk. 1------7------14 most acid rain is caused by These trees are called “flag” acidic neutral basic people and the things we do. trees because their long The gases that come from Soils that have a pH close to branches point in the direction the tail pipes of our cars and neutral are considered “rich” the wind is going, just like a from the smoke stacks of our because many minerals and real flag. factories, especially coal nutrients are readily available. burning electrical plants, all Most plants become Acidic soils, on the other hand, contribute to acid rain. dormant to survive the harsh are often called “poor” because winter conditions. They enter the minerals tend to “leach” or Scientists use a variety of a resting stage in which some wash out of them easily. Thus, tools to measure pH. One of their life processes are the pH of soil is an important simple tool is litmus paper. slowed down. They drop their factor in determining which When litmus paper is dipped leaves and thicken their sap plants can thrive in a given in water or a wet soil solution, so that it acts like antifreeze. environment. it changes color. This color These types of plants are called is compared to a spectrum of The soil on Mount Mitchell deciduous. Evergreen plants colors on a color gauge. Each is acidic. It is not acidic such as the red spruce, Fraser color on the color gauge enough to hurt you, but it may fir, mountain laurel and rhodo- correlates to a known pH. be hurting the plants and dendron have waxy leaves that When the matching color is animals that live on Mount help keep these plants from found, the pH can be Mitchell as the soil becomes drying out in the cold, dry, determined from the gauge. more acidic due to acid rain. windy winter air. You and your group will use As the example listed Another factor affecting litmus paper to determine the shows, rainwater has a normal plants is the pH of the soil they pH of the soil on Mount pH of 5.4, meaning it is grow in and the precipitation Mitchell. slightly acidic. Unfortunately, that falls on them. Everything the pH of rainwater has

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 4.1.4 April 2001 Alpine Forest Fact Sheet

There are many ways these same plants and animals whitish stripes are present on plants can be classified. The are also found living in south- the underside of the needles, following categories relate to ern Canada where environ- giving the underside of the question #3 on the Alpine For- mental factors are similar, branches a grayish or whitish est Worksheet. especially rainfall and tem- appearance. The cones, when Shrubs: Woody plants that perature patterns. present, project upward from usually branch from the base There are only four com- the branch. with several main stems, not mon tree species found within Red spruce, when viewed usually from a single trunk. Mount Mitchell State Park’s from a dis- Trees: Usually tall, woody 1,600 acres. In a tropical tance, looks plants, distinguished from rain forest of this size, there very similar shrubs by comparatively could be as many as 500 Red Spruce to the balsam. greater height, and characteris- species of trees. This shows Closer exami- tically a single trunk rather that fewer species are able nation, how- than several stems. to adapt to harsher environ- ever, will re- ments. veal that the Grasses: Plants with long needles are slender leaves that are often There are only two four-sided or rolled inward. evergreen trees commonly found on Mount Mitchell: nearly round Ferns: Any flowerless, Fraser fir (Abies fraseri) and in cross seedless plants, having fronds red spruce (Picea rubens). section as with divided leaflets, and re- Both of these trees are opposed to producing by means of spores. coniferous. the flattened Herbaceous plants: Plants needles of the Fraser fir. Also, The Fraser fir is the most that have flowers and seeds. the needles are stiff, abundant tree in the park. They have fleshy stems, as Fraser fir is distinguished from the also known woody tissue of shrubs as balsam and trees. They gener- because of its ally die back at the end Fraser fir aromatic odor. of each growing season. Red spruce On young needles & cone Vines: Plants that Fraser fir tree pointed, and sharp to the touch. have flexible stems and trunks, resin The cones, when present in the support themselves by blisters are fall, project downward from the climbing, twining, or more pro- limb. The easiest way to distin- creeping along a sur- nounced than guish these two trees is face. on the trunks to remember that spruce trees The plants and ani- of red spruce. have sharp needles. mals that live above The needles 5,500 feet in the south- of the Fraser ern Appalachians do so be- fir are flat and rounded at cause they have adapted the tips. Both the needles to the alpine environment of and the branches are also Mount Mitchell. Many of soft to the touch. Gray or Fraser fir, needles & cone

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 4.1.5 April 2001 There are only two common deciduous trees found along the Balsam Trail: the mountain Mountain ash ash (Sorbus americana) and the yellow birch (Betula lutea). The mountain ash has bright red berries in the fall and winter. They are a favorite food for bears and birds, especially grouse, grosbeaks and cedar waxwings. In the spring and summer, the tree is easily identified by its compound leaves. The yellow birch can be dis- There are nine shrub tinguished from the mountain species found on Mount Mountain laurel ash by its simple, serrated Mitchell. Among these, leaves, with fuzzy veins on the mountain laurel (Kalmia bottom of the leaf. This tree latifolia) and purple does not have berries, but rhododendron winged seeds. The leaves and (Rhododendron twigs give off a wintergreen catawbiense) are the two odor if crushed. most common evergreen shrubs. Both have shiny, waxy leaves but the laurel’s leaves are smaller than the rhododendron’s. The easiest way to tell these two shrubs apart is to remember that the one with the longest name, rhododendron, has the longest leaves. Yellow birch Rhododendron

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 4.1.6 April 2001 Alpine Forest Worksheet

Post #: ______Date: ______School: ______Group members:______As a group, supply the following information. 1. Weather description Temperature, wind speed, and wind direction can be obtained from the weather information display. This is located in the breezeway between the two concession stand buildings near the summit parking area. Fill in the appropriate information below. Temperature: ______Wind Speed: ______Wind Direction: ______Circle today’s weather conditions. You can circle more than one weather description or state today’s weather in your own words in the space below. rainy sunny cloudy foggy windy calm ______2. Location Which side of the mountain are you on? ______Clue: The road that you traveled to get to the park runs in a northerly direction and the Balsam Trail is located to the right of that road. 3. Plot description Circle the types of plants growing in your plot. You can circle more than one type of plant. trees shrubs grass ferns vines herbaceous Which one of these types of plants covers the biggest portion of your plot? ______In your plot, a low growing plant such as a tree seedling would receive how much sunlight? (circle your answer) little sunlight a lot of sunlight Why? Explain. ______

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 4.1.7 April 2001 Are there any animals or signs of animals in your plot? (Do you see tracks, hair, insects, spiders, etc.?) Circle your answer. yes no If yes, write down what animals or animal signs you saw. ______4. Tree survey To begin sampling the plot, one student should hold one end of the string on the top of the numbered post while another student holds the other end of the string, keeping the string straight and fairly tight. The second student will be 15 feet from the numbered post. This student should mark where he/she is standing by making a line on the ground, laying a stick down, or putting a stick in the ground as a marker. After marking the spot, the second student will walk in a circle around the numbered post. Every time the string touches a tree, the third person in the group should record that tree’s data on this worksheet. The data from all the trees within the group’s 15-foot circle must be obtained. First, determine the tree’s species using the Alpine Forest Fact Sheet. Place its name (common and/or scientific) in the data table below. If there are standing dead trees in your plot, do not try to determine the species. Just count them. CAUTION: A standing dead tree can be dangerous! Do not get too close, or touch the tree. The top could break off, fall and injure you. Do not try to measure the diameter of a dead tree. Measure each live tree’s diameter. Hold the ruler against the tree about four and one half feet above the ground. Close one eye, tilt your head to the left and line up the left side of the tree with the zero mark on the ruler. Hold the ruler steady, tilt your head to the right, still keeping one eye closed, and line up the right side of the tree with the ruler. The number on the ruler at the right edge of the tree is the tree’s diameter in inches. Record this number below. Record every tree and its diameter on this worksheet as you complete the circle by walking around the numbered post. Remember to use the illustrations and descriptions found in the Al- pine Forest Fact Sheet to identify the plants. Under Health, write a few words describing the condition of each tree you measure. For example, if the tree has few, or no dead branches, describe it as “healthy.” If the tree has some dead branches try to estimate how much of the tree is dead. Use a fraction such as 1/4, 1/3 or 1/2 “dead.” Tree Species Diameter Health Tree 1 ______Tree 2 ______Tree 3 ______Tree 4 ______Tree 5 ______

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 4.1.8 April 2001 Tree 6 ______Tree 7 ______Tree 8 ______Tree 9 ______Tree 10 ______Tree 11 ______Tree 12 ______Tree 13 ______Tree 14 ______Tree 15 ______Tree 16 ______Tree 17 ______Tree 18 ______Tree 19 ______Tree 20 ______Tree 21 ______Tree 22 ______Tree 23 ______Tree 24 ______Tree 25 ______Total number of yellow birch ______Total number of mountain ash ______Total number of Fraser fir ______Total number of red spruce ______Total number of live trees ______Total number of standing dead trees ______Average of the diameters of yellow birch ______Average of the diameters of mountain ash ______Average of the diameters of Fraser fir ______Average of the diameters of red spruce ______Average of the diameters of all the trees ______5. Soil pH After collecting the tree data, measure the pH of the soil in your plot. You will do this by using the cup, the distilled water, and litmus paper given to you earlier. By hand, collect enough soil from your plot to fill one quarter of the cup. Put enough distilled water in the cup so that the soil and water together fill one half of the cup, then stir the soil and water using any small stick you find. (Remember, breaking of plants in a state park is prohibited—use a dead stick already on the ground.) Place a two-inch piece of litmus paper in the muddy water and compare the color change on the litmus paper with the litmus color chart. Record your findings here. Soil pH ______

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 4.1.9 April 2001 Circle which best describes your plot’s soil: acidic neutral basic How would you describe the soil in your plot in terms of moisture? Pick the soil up and squeeze it in your hand. Does it stick together and hold its form after you open your hand? If it does, that means the soil is moist. Does the soil fall apart after you squeeze it and then open your hand? If it does, that means the soil is dry. Circle your answer. moist dry What is the soil’s color? ______What is the soil’s texture? Does the soil feel sandy, smooth, gritty or soft when you rub it between your fingers? ______6. After you complete this worksheet, return to the summit parking area. 7. Each group will present the data collected from their plots. The educator will record this information on the Alpine Forest Data Summary Table. You will discuss what you learned about the spruce-fir forest on Mount Mitchell.

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 4.1.10 April 2001 Alpine Forest Data Summary Table Plot # Soil Yellow Mountain Red Fraser Total # Total # pH Birch Ash Spruce Fir Live Trees Dead Trees 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Example: you could write down the average diameter or list all diameters as shown here. Plot # Yellow Birch Mountain Ash Red Spruce Fraser Fir Dead Trees 1 3 trees, 8",10",12" 2 trees, 6", 3" 2 trees, 12", 4" 2 trees, 6",12" 4 trees Discussion Questions Was the data from each of the plots the same? (Answer: No two plots will be exactly alike. But, by taking the average of all the plots we get a better concept of the different kinds, numbers and sizes of trees that are growing in the spruce- fir forest.) Of the four most common trees growing on Mt. Mitchell, which is the most abundant? What is the second most abundant tree? What is the third most abundant tree? Which is the least abundant tree? Which plot had the greatest number of trees? Which plot had the least number of trees? Which plot had the largest diameter tree and what was the species? How many dead trees were found in the plots? What was the health or condition of the live trees in each plot? How might the data in each of the plots change over time? (Ask students to give their predictions.) (Answer: We believe that the plots will change over time, but no one really knows how. The data the students collected can be compared to data collected by other classes and possibly by researchers. Data collected like this over time is a very valuable tool for researchers, for this is one of the best ways to find out how the spruce-fir forest is changing.) What is different about the spruce-fir forest compared to the forests growing where you live?

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 4.1.11 April 2001 On-Site Activity #2 Mt. Mitchell — A Sense of Place

Major Concepts: Objectives: Instructions: ¥ Life cycle of a tree ¥ Observe and describe 1. Check with the park ranger ¥ Spruce-fir forest three plants and three to choose an appropriate site ¥ Interdependence of plants animals inhabiting the for the guided imagery activity. and animals spruce-fir forest on Mt. If possible, divide the class into Learning Skills: Mitchell. two smaller groups. One ¥ Communicating and ¥ Describe the condition of group could do the guided observing ¥ Responding personally the trees on Mt. Mitchell imagery activity while the and creatively to a story/ and list two possible causes other group is hiking the experience of tree mortality. Balsam Trail. Then, switch Subject Areas: ¥ Complete a journal entry places at a predetermined ¥ Science with observations, sketches, time. ¥ English Language Arts poetry, or other written * See Activity Summary for response after participating a Correlation with DPI in a guided imagery activity 2. Using the instructions in objectives in these subject on Mt. Mitchell. this activity, lead the students areas. through the guided imagery Location: Educator’s Information: (Fraser fir story, p. 4.2.3). Balsam Trail and grassy he teacher should be Afterwards, have the students areas near the parking lot (See park ranger for other T familiar with the guided sit in a circle to share their suggestions.) imagery (story) in this activity experiences. Group Size: 15 or less and the Balsam Trail Guide Possible questions: for Mt. Mitchell. Students Estimated Time: 1 hour ¥ Were they successful at should have completed one of imagining what it would be Appropriate Season: Warm the pre-visit activities before weather like to be a Fraser fir on coming to the park, so that top of Mt. Mitchell? Materials: they are familiar with the Provided by the educator: ¥When did they feel the Per class: Song sheets (“My spruce-fir forest and the happiest? Roots Go Down”) and copy possible effects of acid rain ¥ What did they like best of guided imagery script on trees. about the spruce-fir forest? Per student: Clipboard or (favorite color, plant, notebook for journal activity, pencil animal, etc.) Provided by the park: Trail ¥ How did they feel when Guide for the Balsam Trail they were attacked by insects? Bathed in acid fog? ¥ If the mountain could talk, what would it say to the trees? To people? ¥ Did they like the guided imagery activity? Why? Why not?

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 4.2.1 April 2001 3. Conduct a silent sensory 4. Discuss the silent sensory 6. Sing the song, “My Roots awareness hike for half an hike. What kinds of things Go Down” (p. 4.2.7). Ask hour on the Balsam Trail. did you see? Hear? individual students or The object of the hike is to Smell? Feel? Did you volunteers to make up observe as much of the forest see any trees that you different verses using as you can without leaving thought might be sick? things they saw or imagined the trail. Review park rules What did they look like? on Mt. Mitchell. with the students (pages 1.3 Based on your observations, Examples: and 1.4 in this EELE). Stress what do you think is “I am a hawk, flying o’er the importance of using all hurting the trees? Did the trees ...” of the senses, except taste. you see any signs of the Before hiking, the educator balsam woolly adelgids, or “I am a fir, reaching toward the sky ...” should teach the students bark injuries caused by the some signals to help them adelgids? Did you see any “I am acid rain, stressing communicate without yellow needles that might out the trees ...” speaking. For example, if indicate damage from air “I am a cloud, raining on the teacher wants the students pollution? Describe the the mountain ...” to look at something, she will weather on Mt. Mitchell “I am a bug, feeding on fir form her hands into circles today. How does it feel to trees...” and put them up to her eyes you? Normally, the mountain Assessment: (like binoculars), then point is enveloped in clouds eight Back in the classroom, to the object. The signal for out of every ten days. The have students either draw a hearing might be to cup your cold, damp climate helps the picture or write a short story hands behind your ears and, fir and spruce trees to thrive, about Mt. Mitchell including again, point in the direction but may be a limiting factor at least three plants, three of the sound. Older students for other plants and animals. animals, and two problems could write their observations What about you? that affect the trees. Students in notebooks or journals as could also write an ending to they hike. This would help 5. Conclude the activity with the guided imagery story them to remain silent, as they a 15-minute period for journal they experienced on Mt. write down comments and writing. Students could Mitchell. What happens observations to share later record their observations next to the Fraser fir tree with friends and the teacher. and feelings about Mt. and its relatives? Will the The educator should always Mitchell, or they could make spruce-fir forest continue to stay in the lead and guide sketches, write pieces of decline or will it make a the students by pointing out stories, poems or songs, etc. comeback? objects to smell and feel, and It is best if students do this also by stopping the group activity alone, perhaps sitting along the trail to listen to the in the same spot they used wind, birds, and other animals. for the guided imagery. In Give students time to examine case of inclement weather, the trees, but caution them check with the park ranger against getting too close to a to see if the lounge in the standing dead tree. The tree Mt. Mitchell restaurant is could fall over and hurt available for this activity. someone.

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 4.2.2 April 2001 Guided Imagery Script -- A Story of a Fraser Fir on Mt. Mitchell

Note: The teacher should Looking around you, read the following story you’re amazed at how far the slowly and clearly, leaving a mountains reach out in all five-second break after each directions, the blueness of asterisk (*). Separate the the sky and softness of the students so that physical fluffy-white clouds floating contact is not possible; above you. And look at what however, students should be lies below, so many beautiful close enough to the teacher to colors. The many shades of hear the story. forest green are as glorious Script — How many of I want you to imagine that as anything you could you like to use your imagina- you’re a tiny seed lying quietly possibly imagine. You also tion? You’re going to have a inside the warm dark see patches of white and gold chance to do just that. I will protection of a fir cone, a among all the green firs and read you a story about a dark purple cone that points spruce. You quickly sail Fraser fir tree on Mt. Mitchell straight up into the air. over the gold patches to and I would like you to try to You’re 40 feet up in the investigate. You see fast- imagine what I am telling branches of an 80-year-old growing, shiny, yellow birch you. First I’d like you to lie Fraser fir tree here on top of trees growing in the openings down on the ground, on Mt. Mitchell. Imagine what of the spruce-fir forest. your back, and close your it’s like up there as a late Cool! Now you visit the eyes. You may need to summer breeze rocks you white patches. Zooming in wiggle around a bit to back and forth ... back and make yourself comfortable. forth.* Relax your arms and legs You sleep, warm and cozy, and remember to keep your in your fir cone for two years, eyes closed. Now take a until one day ... POP! deep breath and hold it in ... Suddenly, an explosion of hold it ... hold it. Now ex- blinding light shatters the hale slowly and fully, feeling darkness, as your cone bursts your body relax. Let’s try open and the wind carries that again. Take a deep you, whirling and twirling breath ... feel the air filling through the air. You look your lungs with oxygen ... around and see other seeds, hold it ... hold it. Now exhale your brothers and sisters, slowly and steadily, feeling for a closer look you see the twirling above and below bleached bodies of dead your whole body relaxing on you. What an exciting the earth beneath you. * trees. How creepy — like a adventure! You are surfing cemetery! But, then you on the air currents with your notice lots of baby trees special wing. Imagine what growing underneath the dead it must feel like, whirling and trees. Maybe this is a nursery, twirling high above the tree- and not a cemetery after all? tops.*

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 4.2.3 April 2001 Down... down ... down moment to dream about the you continue, past large tall, healthy fir tree you’ll outcroppings of metamorphic become. * rock, millions of years old, When you wake up, you speckled with shimmering feel very different. You’ve flakes of mica and quartz. actually slept for a very long Some of the rocks are dotted time — months, in fact. Hey, look over there. What’s with gray, green and orange Once again you’re in a warm, all that red? It’s the bright- lichens, a combination of cozy, dark place. While you red berries of the mountain algae and fungus which were sleeping, layers of ash tree and the fire cherry. slowly break the rock into colorful leaves and other There’s a big black bear particles of soil. More debris covered you during eating the berries. You also texture and color take shape the autumn months. see an unbelievable as the forest floor rises to Blankets of snow fell assortment of birds. Watch meet you. There are during the winter, out! Don’t let a bird eat purple turtlehead adding moisture you!* blossoms welcoming and insulation to fat bumblebees, the Now feel yourself slowly the leaf layer. If sunny yellow flow- you listen care- starting to descend ... down ... ers of St. John’s down ... down, past uncles, fully, you can hear Wort smelling like the snow melting aunts and cousins — other butterscotch, and firs that are part of your and dripping all patches of delicate bluets around you.* family, part of your heritage. blooming in abundance. You feel proud to be made up Take a few moments to enjoy You begin to feel warmer of the same fibers as these the colors and smells around as the springtime sun melts beautiful stately creatures you.* away the snow above you of your natural community. and reaches down through You smile and wave as you the leaves to touch your face. Finally, the warm breeze continue on your journey Suddenly, you feel yourself lays you gently down upon down ... down ... down. You changing! First your tiny the forest floor. You look roots reach down and out, back up in amazement at finding water and nutrients in where you’ve been. Every- the soil. Then you burst out thing looks so monstrous in of your seed covering, size, towering above you. sprouting up ... up ... up How does this make you through the leaf layer and feel? Are you alone? Or toward the sun. You’re so afraid? Well, you’re not alone for long. Other seeds, pine needles, twigs and debris fall around you, making you feel welcome and comfortable. You’re also beginning to feel pass a few red spruce trees, a bit sleepy after your long with their sharp, prickly journey, so you settle into needles and cones that point your new home and fall into down toward the forest floor. a long, deep sleep. Take a

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 4.2.4 April 2001 hungry and thirsty from live! The animals and plants ago. You’ve never seen a sleeping all winter. Take in your natural community forest fire. Could you be on some time to enjoy these new depend on you. The red fire now? experiences.* squirrel scurries “Help, I’m on fire!” you through your branches. yell to the other trees. The years pass by The junco eats “No, you’re not on fire,” your seeds as you begin to grow answers an older tree nearby. tall and strong. Your “You’re experiencing acid heavy roots anchor deposition.” you to the ground. Your branches “Yikes! What’s that?” you reach up and out, ask. their needles dark green and “The fog and flat, absorb carbon dioxide clouds this from the atmosphere. They morning combine it with energy from contain the sun to produce sugars large amounts of and starches, food to help air pollution from power you grow. Feel your trunk, plants and automobiles,” your branches, your needles, and nests on the ground says the older tree. “Chemi- working and growing to below. The white-tailed deer, cals like sulfur dioxide and ni- make you healthy and the bobcat, the cottontail trogen oxide combine with wa- strong.* rabbit, the weasel, the chip- ter in the air to form acids. munk and the deer mouse all This acid is carried down to You are a lucky tree. enjoy your company and our branches and to the soil in You’ve lived some 40 years protection. All of the plants, the form of fog, rain, sleet and now and are almost 20 feet animals, rocks and soil snow. People call tall. You are especially depend on each other for lucky that you landed on the food, shelter and support. east side of the mountain Take a few moments to when you were just a little thank your forest friends seed. Trees on the east side and to listen to all the of Mt. Mitchell are protected life around you.* from the prevailing winds that blow out of the west. Early one spring day, Thanks to your protected you are enjoying your spot, you’ve survived ice morning bath of cold, wet this acid deposition or acid storms, heavy winds and fog when ... ouch! You rain.” even a few years of drought. notice that the tips of your “Will it kill us?” you cry You really like your new needles are turning in alarm. neighborhood. The spruce- yellow. OUCH! It feels like fir forest is a great place to “Nobody seems to know your needles are burning. that for sure,” answers the You remember the stories older tree sadly. “But some that old trees like to tell scientists think that acid rain about the terrible fires that isn’t good for trees — it occurred after the logging stresses our needles and root on Mt. Mitchell, 80-90 years systems.”

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 4.2.5 April 2001 “Oh, I hate stress!” you could kill you in just a few Postscript to Teachers: say. You are very glad when years. Where’s the fly swat- The acid cloud incident the acid cloud goes away ter? You’d like these bugs to described in this story is later in the day. Whew! “bug off”!* based on an actual event on You hope you don’t get Mt. Mitchell witnessed by another acid bath like that Dr. Robert Bruck and other one anytime soon.* research scientists from N.C. A little later, you feel State University in June something stab you — 1987. The coincidence of OUCH! Several tiny, white- new buds opening at the woolly bugs are sticking their same time that a very acid mouthparts into your trunk. cloud envelops the mountain Oh no... it’s the balsam woolly will, hopefully, remain a rare adelgids. You have heard all event. However, there may about these nasty critters. be other, less obvious ways These tiny insects feed on fir that acid rain affects trees trees, injecting a substance over time. (See Pre-visit into your bark that changes Activity #3 in this EELE.) the way your cells grow. By now you are beginning The balsam woolly adelgids Now less food and water will to realize that it isn’t easy described in the guided im- be able to reach your roots being a Fraser fir tree on Mt. agery are still attacking and and branches. If enough of Mitchell. Even fir trees have killing fir trees on Mt. these bugs attack you, they bad days! Take a few Mitchell today. There are no moments to think about your environmentally-safe pesti- life as a tree and what might cides or other methods to happen to you in the weeks combat these bugs. They and months ahead.* were first discovered on Mt. Mitchell in the late 1950s and, a few years later, these Before you open your exotic pests (originating eyes, I’d like you to clear from Europe) had killed your mind and take one last over 275,000 Fraser fir trees deep breath, holding it for a in the Mt. Mitchell region. few seconds. Hold it ... hold (See Pre-visit Activity #4.) it ... now exhale bringing your hand up to cover your eyes as you slowly open them. Take some time to let yourself adjust, then sit up, or stand up, and stretch. We are going to make a circle and share some of our experiences as Fraser fir trees.

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 4.2.6 April 2001 “My Roots Go Down”

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 4.2.7 April 2001 On-Site Activity #3 Planting for Tomorrow

Major Concepts: Special Considerations: ¥ Benefits of trees Students will be using tools ¥ Planting trees and following procedures ¥ Spruce-fir forest decline that may require supervision or help. Extra adult supervi- Learning Skills: sion, other than the teacher ¥ Observing, measuring, and ranger, may be appropri- inferring, predicting ate depending on group size ¥ Participating in a and age of the students. Stu- stewardship activity dents should use safe proce- ¥ Graphing and interpreting dures with all tools. data Objectives: Subject Areas: ¥ Science ¥ Observe and describe the ¥ Social Studies condition of Fraser firs on ¥ Mathematics Mt. Mitchell. ¥ English Language Arts ¥ List two limiting factors * See the Activity Summary that stress Fraser firs on for a Correlation with the DPI objectives in these Mt. Mitchell. subject areas. ¥ List at least three ways that trees benefit people. Location: ¥ Successfully plant Fraser Mount Mitchell State Park (specific area designated by fir seedlings on Mt. park ranger) Mitchell, or observe and measure trees that were Group Size: planted by other groups. 20 or fewer

Estimated Time: 1 hour Educator’s Information: Appropriate Season: Late y planting trees at Mt. spring or early fall B Mitchell State Park, students participate in a Materials: Provided by park staff: stewardship activity and Per class: Fraser fir express their appreciation seedlings, 8 shovels or tree for trees. Pre-visit activity spades, 20 wooden stakes, #2 is recommended as a four 10-foot measuring prerequisite to this activity. tapes, eight or more yardsticks, plastic marking ribbon, 50 pounds of rock dust or lime, paper, pencils, and four clipboards.

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 4.3.1 April 2001 Instructions: Assessment: 1. Review the Have students Student’s Information discuss or write their with the class. This answers to the can be done verbally following questions. at the park or the The educator might do material can be read this as a field activity by the students prior on the school grounds. to their visit to Mt. ¥ Describe the Mitchell. condition of Fraser fir 2. At the park, the trees on Mt. Mitchell. ranger will discuss Compare the Fraser fir and demonstrate the trees with the trees safe use of shovels around the school. and lime, and the Are the school trees procedure for healthier than the planting seedlings. Fraser firs? What observations support ¥ The seedlings should be 4. Have each group use a your conclusion? planted at least 20 inches yardstick or tape measure to ¥ List two limiting factors apart. find the height of each seed- affecting Fraser firs on Mt. ¥ During planting, try not to ling in their plot. Using the Mitchell. Do you think these handle the roots. paper and clipboards provided same factors may be stressing by the ranger, the students ¥ Dig the holes a little trees growing near our school? should record the data for Why or why not? What limit- deeper than the length of each seedling on a diagram of the roots of each seedling. ing factors may be stressing their plot. The ranger will our school trees? (Use actual ¥ Rock dust or lime should give the teacher a copy of this observations if possible.) be added to the soil under data for future use. and around the seedlings. ¥ Explain how trees help 5. Find the average height of people. Give at least three ¥ The dirt should be packed seedlings in each plot. Did benefits of trees. What firmly around the roots, each plot have the same benefits do we receive from but not too tightly. number of seedlings? If the trees near our school or in ¥ Soak the soil around the possible, visit the plot once a our neighborhood? seedling to encourage year. Record the height of deep rooting. remaining trees in each plot. Extensions: Make observations on the 1. Have future classes 3. Divide the students into conditions of trees in each publish the growth of plots in four groups. Have the plot. Calculate the mortality a newsletter for the class or groups lay out four 10’x10’ rate over the past year. Make school. plots using tape measures graphs of tree height versus and wooden stakes to mark 2. Adapt this activity to an year for each plot, or number area around your school and corners. Then, they should of surviving trees versus year plant as many seedlings as plant trees there. The for each plot. Compare the Morganton Forestry Center at possible in their plots, plots. If possible, make a vid- according to the ranger’s 1-888-NCTREES sells native eotape or photographic record tree seedling packages. instructions. of your plots each year.

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 4.3.2 April 2001 Student’s Information:

environments. A healthy ¥ Absorb sulfur dioxide and tree exposed to acid deposi- other pollutants. tion and growing in contaminated soil may ¥ Replenish the atmosphere become weak and less with oxygen. resistant to disease and ¥ Hold soil with roots, pests. As we plant preventing erosion. trees today at Mt. Mitchell State Park, ¥ Provide homes and food we will be adding for birds and other animals. rock dust or lime to ¥ Serve as a windbreak, the soil to make the keeping buildings warmer. soil more basic. We hope we can bring the soil, ¥ Provide shade, keeping which the rain, snow and buildings cooler. hat is happening to fog has made more acidic, the trees? Take a ¥ Lower energy bills (by back to a normal level for look around you. providing shade and W the fir trees. We hope that serving as a windbreak). Many of the older Fraser fir young healthy trees may trees are dying. There are have a better chance of ¥ Muffle traffic noise. many limiting factors that survival, and that the trees impact the health of the you plant today will replace ¥ Provide beauty and trees. Natural factors in- some of the trees being enjoyment. clude ice storms, high killed by the balsam woolly ¥ Humidify or add moisture winds, insect damage and adelgid. drought. Some scientists to the air. think that natural factors Why do we want to plant alone can not explain the in- new trees? In addition to giving us an amazing array Have you thanked a tree creased death rate of Fraser today? firs and red spruce on Mt. of paper and wood Mitchell. (The death rate products, trees provide has increased by 30 percent many other benefits. over the past 10 years.) They: Some scientists theorize that ¥ Help settle, trap, and air pollution is a major con- hold small particles tributor to tree mortality be- (dust, ash, smoke) that cause, on eight out of ten can damage lungs. days, Mt. Mitchell is covered in clouds and fog, ¥ Remove carbon dioxide sometimes as acidic as from the atmosphere dur- vinegar. In addition, the ing photosynthesis. soil on Mt. Mitchell has a ¥ Help prevent global greater amount of heavy warming (by removing metals, such as lead and carbon dioxide which aluminum, than soil in urban traps heat).

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 4.3.3 April 2001 Post-Visit Activity #1 Forest Game

Objectives: It is also important for the ¥ List five limiting factors students to listen carefully. that can adversely affect Forest creatures need to natural communities. know what is going on ¥ List three ways to help around them. The educator protect the spruce-fir will be telling a Forest Story, forest. and students will be acting it out, but they won’t be able to Educator’s Information: hear their part if they are not listening. Major Concepts: his activity is a ¥ Environmental factors affecting forest growth Tsimulation where Instructions: the students role- 1. Discuss the Student’s Learning Skills: play various Information with the class. ¥ Communicating and members of a Introduce the new observing natural com- ¥ Participating in creative vocabulary words, limiting munity that interpretations factor and balsam woolly are working to- ¥ Applying concepts and adelgid. Tell the students ideas gether to keep the they will be playing a game forest alive. The main objec- that shows how the spruce-fir Subject Areas: tive of this forest simulation ¥ English Language Arts forest reacts to different is reproduction and survival. ¥ Social Studies limiting factors. ¥ Science The manner in which the * See the Activity Summary alpine forest in this activity 2. Divide the class into three for a Correlation with the reproduces, and therefore sur- groups of 8 or 10 students. DPI objectives in these Within these groups, the subject areas. vives, is by moving its seeds from the bucket containing students will count off by “3”s, Location: A field, or beans to the empty bucket. A somewhere outside with healthy forest will regenerate plenty of space (create young trees) very Group Size: Class quickly. There will be no talking Estimated Time: 40 minutes during the game. Natural Appropriate Season: Any community members must communicate with each other Materials: in ways other than using Provided by the Educator: words. If the members of the Per student: one copy of the natural community need to Student’s Information sheet Per group: One pound of dried communicate, they should do beans and two 1-gallon so by quietly simulating their plastic buckets given parts, i.e. birds may chirp, trees can be blown by the wind, etc.

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 5.1.1 April 2001 as the students will be role- 3. Place the buckets “stop,” every natural playing three different natural containing beans in a line on community member should community members. The one edge of the field, about stop where he or she is and “ones” will be Fraser firs, the three to four feet away from listen to the instructions. “twos” will be red spruce trees, each other. Follow those instructions until and the “threes” will be dark- 4. Place empty buckets new ones are given. If new eyed juncos. directly across from the instructions are not given for a Explain the characteristics buckets containing beans, particular species (fir, spruce, of each species and have the approximately 30 yards away. junco), that student will students role-play their parts (Do not place the continue doing what he or she using the following buckets too far was doing before. If the descriptions, apart because student is given new or roles you will need to be instructions, he or she should they make up: heard clearly by act out this new role in addition to what he or she was a. Red spruce trees are tall everybody.) doing before. Students should evergreen trees with short, 5. Have each not begin role-playing again sharp pointed needles and group line up behind until the educator says “go.” cones that hang down from the its bucket of beans. branches. All students playing 6. When the educator says red spruce trees should stand “go,” each student is to take Assessment: up as tall as they can, hanging one bean from the bucket of Have the students answer their hands down to represent beans for their group and start the discussion questions on cones. walking (or hopping) quietly page 5.1.4. b. Fraser fir trees are tall over to their group’s empty evergreen trees with short bucket. Everyone should put Extensions: needles, but they have cones their bean into their group’s 1. To demonstrate that that stand up on their branches. empty bucket and walk or hop different natural communities All students playing Fraser fir quietly back to get another have to contend with different trees should stand tall with bean. Continue this cycle until factors (in terms of elevation, their hands pointed up to other directions are given. etc.), have the buckets at represent cones. This is not a relay raceÐÐspeed different distances for different c. Dark-eyed juncos are small is not the object of this game. groups. birds that hop around on the All the students can be coming 2. Repeat the game using any ground and pick up small seeds and going at the same time, of the following additional to eat, thus dispersing seeds being careful not to knock over elements or any that you or over a larger area. They make the buckets. (Remind the your students create: a loud chirping noise. All the juncos to keep hopping.) ¥ Logging students playing juncos should 7. Let this process continue for ¥ Destructive caterpillars hop around and chirp loudly. awhile, to get everyone used to ¥ Good soil due to decay Juncos should hop during the the cycle. ¥ People planting seedlings whole game. 8. When the educator says ¥ Flood ¥ Second home development

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 5.1.2 April 2001 Forest Story: coming of spring rainfall, the hopping on one foot. Go! tree seeds that survived the fire, Note to teacher: Leave ap- 7. One night, the temperature begin to sprout and grow. propriate pauses after each drops to the coldest Dead trees ÐÐ you are now step in the story. Control the temperature ever experienced young trees of the same species pace depending on size of in North Carolina ÐÐ minus 34 that you were before. Go! the playing area, age of the degrees Fahrenheit, which is students, and time available 5. The next winter, there is a really cold! Stop! for this lesson. Read through very heavy ice and snow This affects all the plants this story carefully before us- storm. Stop! and animals in the forest. In ing it with your students. This The snow is so heavy that addition to what the trees were will allow you to determine the fir trees can not hold the doing before, the juncos must how long pauses should be, weight of the snow. Many of now bob their heads up and and if some should be longer their branches break off. This down as they walk or hop than others. means that they have fewer along. Go! needles to make food in the 8. Now it is spring! The trees 1. You are all parts of a spring. Fir trees must hop on are still trying to recover from healthy spruce-fir forest. You one foot to represent the the winter storms. A city, get rain and sunshine in just difficulty they have making which is 60 miles always, is the right amount. Go! food. Spruce trees ÐÐ you polluting by putting sulfur and 2. Then one year, there is a were sheltered under the larger nitrogen into the air. Stop! drought. Stop! firs and you are fine. Go! The extra sulfur and All the trees and birds in the 6. That same winter, another nitrogen in the air is forest have less water to drink, storm comes and winds hit the contributing to acid rain. The and this slows down their mountain at speeds up to 100 acid rain makes it even harder ability to move and miles per hour. Stop! for the injured trees to make reproduce. Everyone This time, the spruce trees food. In addition to what they must walk in slow are affected and they lose a lot were doing before, each tree motion. Go! of their branches, which means must now twirl in circles. 3. Because they have fewer needles to Juncos have recovered from everything is so dry make food in the spring. None the winter cold and can now that summer, there is of the spruce trees may use hop normally. Go! a fire. Stop! their hands to carry beans. 9. Some balsam woolly The fire kills all They must have help from the adelgids (ah-DELL-gids) come the trees. Trees ÐÐ juncos to get a bean out of the to the forest and start attacking act like you are bucket and put it in their the Fraser fir trees. Stop! dying. Now lay on pockets, or on top of their The balsam woolly the ground, dead. heads, or in their socks, etc. adelgid is a small insect, Juncos ÐÐ you escape If a “spruce tree” loses but there are lots of them on to a nearby forest and his or her bean, a Mt. Mitchell. These bugs are okay. Go! junco must help only feed on Fraser fir trees 4. The trees decompose him or her get it ÐÐ the spruce trees are not until the next spring, back. Fir trees Ð affected. As they feed, enriching the soil. you are still the insects inject a Stop! suffering from substance into the trees’ the ice storm With the inner bark, making it and should continue hard for the fir trees to

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 5.1.3 April 2001 transport food and water. beans and buckets. fire or a severe insect attack, Combined with the affect of not just one year. Juncos help acid rain, the insects do severe Discussion: distribute spruce and fir seeds; damage to the fir trees. Fir 1. If the weather is warm, find however, they wouldn’t do this trees ÐÐ you all die, so lie a tree on the school’s campus deliberately to “help” a tree, down dead. Spruce trees ÐÐ and have the class sit in its etc. you are still twirling from the shade. Discuss the limiting 4. What did it feel like when affects of acid rain and need factors that affect this tree’s you were not able to get the help from the juncos due to growth and reproduction. Ex- bean in the bucket as easily as your broken branches. Go! amine the tree for signs of you could at the beginning of 10. The humans have discov- stress. If your class visited Mt. the game? What limiting fac- ered ways to reduce air pollu- Mitchell or another high-eleva- tor, or combination of limiting tion and control the balsam tion forest, review what you factors, made it the most diffi- woolly adelgid. Stop! observed there. What are the cult for you to survive and re- differences and similarities reproduce? Answers will vary. Scrubbers were put in the garding the limiting factors smokestacks of coal-burning that affect this tree and those 5. Is there anything we can do electric power plants to cut that affect the spruce-fir forest to help protect the spruce-fir down on sulfur dioxide pollu- on Mt. Mitchell? forest such as the one we simu- tion. Better emission controls lated? 2. How was this simulation were placed on cars and trucks Answer: There are many to reduce nitrogen oxide pollu- game like a real natural community? things we can do. For ex- tion. Trees will no longer have ample, we can learn more to twirl around because the Answer: Different natural about the forest and how it acid rain has been reduced. communities respond differ- functions so that we can appre- Spruce trees have also recov- ently to environmental stress ciate it and use it more wisely. ered from the wind damage depending on their health, their We can use less paper and re- and can use their “hands” elevation, which side of the cycle paper so fewer forest again to pick up beans. The fir mountain they are growing on, communities are cut down. trees begin to regenerate after etc. There are many limiting We can work in our local com- the last attack of the adelgids factors that affect a natural munity to reduce the amount of and acid rain. Fir trees may community and these factors air pollution by doing such reproduce again, but they must can combine in a variety of things as riding a bicycle, walk in slow motion. Go! ways. The interactions be- walking instead of driving, 11.We will stop our simulation tween the various members of riding on a school bus instead at this point, with our natural a natural community will of everyone coming in their community recovering from change due to their response to own car, etc. We can use less the effects of several limiting these factors. electricity so that power plants factors. Stop! 3. How was this simulation do not need to produce as Note: Students may want to game NOT like a real natural much. Some of us can write count the number of beans community? letters to the city council and to their natural community was Answer: Trees can’t walk state and federal legislators ex- able to transport during the around. Storms and winds af- pressing our concerns about game. Collect and store all the fect all the trees and would not protecting natural communities target one species at a time. It such as the spruce-fir forest on would take many years for Mt. Mitchell. trees to recover from a forest

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 5.1.4 April 2001 Student’s Information

if you have been to Mt. Mitchell State Park (or I any of the other high- elevation forests in the southern Appalachians), you have seen lots of dead trees. Various factors can contribute to forest decline and death. Very seldom is there one limiting factor that stunts or kills trees. Usually, it is a combination of factors. Several limiting factors acting on a tree at the same time can kill the tree, or even an entire forest. needles, and slow growth. spray chemicals to kill Limiting factors include: Foresters can check tree weeds and insects. As our ¥ weather extremes growth by using an population continues to ¥ air pollution (acid rain increment borer. With this grow, we are placing even and ozone) instrument, they take a small greater demands on our core out of the tree’s trunk forests and other natural ¥ diseases and examine the tree’s resources. ¥ insects (such as the growth rings. Narrow rings There are things we can balsam woolly adelgid) indicate the tree is under do to help preserve our ¥ poor soils stress. Scientists who study forests. Some Limiting factors, working tree growth rings report things are alone or together, can that all spruce and fir simple, such weaken a tree at various trees above as recycling stages in its life. Some signs 6,350 feet paper and other of stress are yellowed leaves in the materials. Other or needles, wilted or dead southern things are more branches, deformed leaves or Appalachians difficult such as using show a marked reduction in less electricity and burning growth since the 1960s. less gasoline in our cars, Many plants and animals boats and lawn mowers. affect natural communities, We can write to our but none more so than legislators asking them to humans. We clear-cut forests preserve more forest lands and often plant only one tree in our state and our nation. species in their place. We Can you think of other ways build dams, roads, and that you and your classmates developments that affect the can help prevent forest natural world around us. We decline? pollute the air and water, and

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 5.1.5 April 2001 Post-Visit Activity #2 Forest Stewardship

Major Concepts: Credits: The story, “The 2. Discuss their plans and, ¥ Conservation of natural Tailor” by Nancy Schemmel, if desired, provide materials resources and paper facts, are from and class time for students ¥ Stewardship Spinning Tales Weaving Hope, to take responsible action. ¥ Responsible environmental edited by Ed Brody, Jay Another possibility is to action Goldspinner, Katie Green, Rona Lenthal, and Jack allow students to vote on the Learning Skills: Porcino. Stories for World best action plan and the ¥ Writing a stewardship plan Change Network, New Society entire class could work on ¥ Carefully considering con- Publishing, Philadelphia, PA, the plan together. sequences of actions 1992 (pp. 211, 214). Assessment: Subject Areas: ¥ English Language Arts Objectives: Several weeks after stu- ¥ Social Studies ¥ List at least two dents have written their ¥ Science stewardship actions that stewardship plans, ask them * See the Activity Summary individuals can take to to report on actions they for a Correlation with the have taken. They should DPI objectives in these improve the health of subject areas. trees and forests. also evaluate the success of ¥ Explain the positive their actions when they have Location: Classroom consequences of each concluded their activities. action listed above. Group Size: Class Modifications: ¥ Define at least two of the 1. Write the following paper Estimated Time: 1 - 1 1/2 four types of responsible hours environmental actions: facts on the blackboard: ecomanagement, ¥ Paper makes up a least 50 Appropriate Season: Any persuasion, consumerism, percent of the United and political action. States’ municipal waste. Materials: ¥ Publishing a typical big- Provided by educator: ¥ Choose one type of Per student: One copy of responsible environmental city Sunday newspaper Student's Information and action and write a forest uses 10,000 trees. Forest Stewardship Plan ¥ Making recycled paper Per class: (Optional activity) stewardship plan, outlining the steps in takes 61 percent less empty cereal or other food water and produces 70 boxes made from paper, old taking action. nature magazines, recycled percent less pollution drawing paper, scissors, Instructions: than making new paper. paste or glue sticks, crayons, 1. Photocopy the Student’s Ask students to create markers, pens or pencils, names and addresses of Information and Forest bumper stickers or posters politicians, postcard stamps Stewardship Plan for each based on these facts. Or, ask student. Ask them to read students to do research in the Student’s Information the media center or on the and then work on their World Wide Web to find plans. (Students could more statistics about trees work individually or in and forest products. small groups to write their plans.)

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 5.2.1 April 2001 2. Read or tell the story; the many ways we depend and paste onto the colored “The Tailor” by Nancy on them. (See Student’s In- side of the postcard. Let Schimmel (see page 5.2.7). formation in On-site dry. Ask students to write a After reading the story, look Activity #3.) few short sentences about up the word recycle in the recycling or other issues that 3. Guide students in making dictionary and copy it onto involve trees and forests. recycled postcards from the chalkboard. Discuss They should include their cereal boxes and magazines what recycling is and why it name and a return address. by cutting off the ends and is important. Point the Have students address sides of boxes with scissors. discussion toward trees and postcards to a political Cut pictures of trees from official — local, state or magazines, or draw pictures national. Teacher or students on recycled drawing paper, can be responsible for stamping and mailing postcards.

Elected Officials’ Addresses: The President The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., NW Washington, DC 20500

The Honorable ... United States Senate Washington, DC 20515

The Honorable ... United States House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515

*If addressing any particular bill, identify its name and number.

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 5.2.2 April 2001 Student’s Information

n the early 1900s, logging operations nearly destroyed the I magnificent spruce-fir forest of Mt. Mitchell. Alarmed citizens worked with Governor Locke Craig to convince the state legislature to pass a bill protecting Mt. Mitchell by making it the first state park in North Carolina. The Division of Parks and Recreation is now responsible for protecting Mt. Mitchell and all its natural communities. The division manages the park for the safe enjoyment of all North Carolina citizens. The division, along with all the park visitors, must exercise good stewardship so that future generations will be able to see and enjoy the natural resources and scenic beauty of Mt. Mitchell, the highest peak The Result of Logging Operations in the Black Mountains in the east of the Mississippi. early 1900s. Photograph from Raymond Pulliam, “Destroying Mt. Mitchell,” American Forestry, XXI (February, 1915), p. 89. What do you think might have happened if concerned wisely to protect and conserve park and made some citizens, back in 1915, had our natural resources, or to firsthand observations. You not taken action? One act thoughtlessly, with little may be wondering how you possibility is that you might or no concern for others and can help the trees and forests not have had the opportunity other forms of life. Some- on Mt. Mitchell, or in other to visit Mt. Mitchell, or if times it is difficult to decide areas of our state. Generally you were able to visit, it which actions are the best there are four kinds of might look very different ones to take. We may need stewardship actions you can than it does today. Actions to do some research before take: ecomanagement, each of us take every day we choose the best course of persuasion, political action, can make a difference in the action. and consumerism. natural environment and can affect our families, friends, During your visit to Mt. Ecomanagement — This and future generations. Mitchell State Park, you action is a direct, physical Each of us can choose to act learned some facts about the action to manage the

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 5.2.3 April 2001 environment. For example, killed when fishermen you or your class may plant harvested tuna. This new trees or recycle paper. consumerism convinced Both these actions help fishermen to change their Choose trees. By planting new fishing methods so that tuna trees, you are replacing trees could be harvested without that have died or have been killing dolphins. harvested. By recycling Political action — This paper, you are reducing the action involves the political number of new trees that process. The action that Think need to be cut to make new North Carolina citizens took paper. in 1915 to make Mt. Persuasion — This Mitchell a state park is an Act action involves educating example of political action. other people about an If you are not old enough to environmental problem and vote, you can still write to Educate motivating them to take elected officials about action to solve the problem. environmental issues of For example, you would be concern to you. using persuasion if you Being a responsible created a poster, a song, or a citizen and a good steward play that tells other people of our natural resources about the possible effects of takes courage and careful acid rain on trees and what thinking. It is important that they could do to reduce air you think through all the Recycle pollution. consequences of any action Consumerism — This you take to make sure you type of action involves what are doing your best for our you choose, or refuse to buy. natural resources and for For example, you could other people. The staff of choose to buy only recycled Mt. Mitchell State Park paper. If enough people hopes you will join them in Reuse used recycled paper, there protecting and preserving would be a greater demand our beautiful alpine forest! for this product. The paper companies would be encouraged to produce more Plant trees recycled paper and use fewer new trees to make paper. This action is an economic action and can be ReduceReduce very effective. Have you ever heard of dolphin-safe Practice consumerism tuna? For many years, Increase awareness people refused to buy tuna fish because so many dolphins were accidently

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 5.2.4 April 2001 Forest Stewardship Plan

Name: ______

1. List six things in the classroom that are made from trees.

2. List three ways that trees benefit people, other than by providing useful paper and wood products.

3. Explain why it is important to protect and conserve our trees and forests.

4. How do you think you could help save trees? Develop a forest stewardship plan. First, describe the action you would like to take in one sentence:

______

5. What type of environmental action is this? Circle the best answer:

Ecomanagement Persuasion Consumerism Political action

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 5.2.5 April 2001 6. What are the steps you will take before, during and after you perform your stewardship action? List the steps you will take, one at a time. Continue on another sheet of paper, if needed.

7. What will be the positive consequences, or good effects, of your stewardship action? List them below:

8. Will there be any negative consequences, or harmful effects? If yes, list them below:

9. How could you avoid these negative consequences?

10. What materials and information will you need in order to take your stewardship action?

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 5.2.6 April 2001 “The Tailor” by Nancy Schimmel

IN A VILLAGE once lived a poor tailor. He had made overcoats for many people, but he had never made one for himself, though an overcoat was the one thing he wanted. He never had enough money to buy material and set it aside for himself, without making something to sell. But he saved and saved, bit by bit, and at last he had saved enough. He bought the cloth and cut it carefully, so as not to waste any. He sewed up the coat, and it fit him perfectly. He was proud of that coat. He wore it whenever it was the least bit cold. He wore it until it was all worn out. At least he thought it was all worn out, but then he looked closely and he could see that there was just enough good material left to make a jacket. So he cut up the coat and made a jacket. It fit just as well as the coat had, and he could wear it even more often. He wore it until it was all worn out. At least he thought it was all worn out, but he looked again, and he could see that there was still enough good material to make a vest. So he cut up the jacket and sewed up a vest. He tried it on. He looked most distinguished in that vest. He wore it every single day. He wore it until it was all worn out. At least he thought it was all worn out, but when he looked it over carefully, he saw some places here and there that were not worn. So he cut them out, sewed them together, and made a cap. He tried it on, and it looked just right. He wore that cap outdoors and in, until it was all worn out. At least it seemed to be all worn out, but when he looked, he could see that there was just enough left to make a button. So he cut up the cap and made a button. It was a good button. He wore it every day until it was all worn out. At least he thought it was all worn out, but when he looked closely, he could see that there was just enough left of that button to make a story, so he made a story out of it and I just told it to you.

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 5.2.7 April 2001 Recycle a Forest — Post-Visit Activity #3 Leave a Log Alone

Major Concepts: Materials: Educator’s Information: ¥ Decomposers and Provided by educator: This post-visit activity decomposition Per student: Student’s makes students aware of ¥ Forest resource Information and worksheet management Per class: The Magic School how beneficial rotting logs Bus Meets the Rot Squad, by are to all living things. Learning Skills: Joanna Cole, Scholastic Inc., During the activity, students ¥ Listening; participating in 1995. identify the various creative interpretations decomposers in a rotting ¥ Applying concepts and Credits: The Magic School ideas Bus Meets the Rot Squad, log. They then participate in ¥ Observing, classifying, Schoolastic’s, 1995; The a simulation to learn the communicating and Secret Life of a Forest by different roles each of these predicting Richard M. Ketchum, decomposers plays in pp. 48-51. Subject Areas: breaking down logs and ¥ English Language Arts enriching the soil. ¥ Social Studies Objectives: ¥ Science ¥ List three decomposers Instructions: * See the Activity Summary and describe their roles in 1. Ask for volunteers to for a Correlation with the returning dead trees to look up the word DPI objectives in these subject areas. soil. decomposition in the ¥ Explain why park managers dictionary and copy it onto Location: Classroom often choose to leave dead the chalkboard. If available, trees and logs alone. read the book, The Magic Group Size: Class ¥ List the pros and cons of School Bus Meets the Rot Estimated Time: 50 minutes not disturbing dead trees Squad. (35 minutes without “Magic or logs on the school 2. After reading the story, School Bus” story) grounds or in the students’ distribute copies of the neighborhoods. Appropriate Season: Any Student’s Information sheet to each student. 3. Ask different students to read sections of the Student’s

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 5.3.1 April 2001 Information aloud. Write 3. Ask the students what Discuss: Why do park these key words on the feeds on the slime, releasing managers often choose to board as they read: fungi, carbon into the air (bacteria). leave dead trees alone? bacteria, slime, earth- The students role-playing Possible answers: Dead worms, insects. bacteria should crouch on trees are an important part of 4. Clear an area in the center the floor near the slime and most natural communities. of the classroom. Divide the chant, “We care, we care, Dead trees provide habitat students into five groups by making carbon for the air.” (food, shelter and moisture) having them number off 4. Ask the students which for many living things. from one to five. decomposer feeds on the Decaying leaves and wood 5. Assign each number to a dead wood and digs access enrich the forest soil by key word that was listed on tunnels for water, fungi, and releasing nutrients needed the board earlier. Group 1 = bacteria (insects). Tell the for plant growth. If dead fungi, Group 2 = bacteria, insects to move freely plant materials were removed, Group 3 = slime, Group 4 = around and between the the natural community earthworms, Group 5 = other decomposers. Tell would lose nutrients over insects. them to chant, “Bore, bore, time. The nutrients might we want more.” 6. Explain to the students have to be replaced through that they will role-play 5. Ask the students which the use of fertilizers and new decomposers as they break decomposers burrow topsoil before healthy plants down an imaginary log in through the soil making could grow. the center of the room. channels for air and water 8. Discuss: Is it always wise (earthworms). The earth- to leave dead trees alone? Simulation Activity — worms should get down on Should we ever remove The Decomposing Log the floor, stretch out, and dead trees or branches on 1. Ask the students which begin moving slowly in the the school grounds or in our decomposer produces soil around the log. They own backyards? (Have stu- rhizomorphs that help them chant, “Eat it all, make it dents recall times when attach to logs (fungi). The small.” storms may have caused tree students role-playing fungi 6. When the rotting log is damage and what was done should stand on the sides of completely assembled, have in these instances.) the imaginary log, bend over all students act out and chant Possible answers: slightly, and hang their arms their parts, one group at a Sometimes standing dead down. They are now time, and then trees or dead limbs are rhizomorphs. Have them simultaneously. chant, “Our job is eating logs.” 7. When the simulation is 2. Ask the students what complete, ask the fungi produce as they feed students to return to on dead logs (slime). Have their seats. Review the students role-playing the major slime lie down in the middle decomposers and how of the log. These students each one helps to recycle chant, “Fungi to slime takes the dead tree by returning it time.” to the soil.

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC5.3.2 April 2001 removed to prevent them from falling on people, houses or cars. Sometimes dead trees are removed to may have reduce the amount of fuel killed it and available for a forest fire. whether it presents Sometimes dead trees or a danger to other trees limbs are removed and in your neighborhood. burned to prevent the spread ¥ Ask your county forester of disease to healthy trees in to evaluate your property the area (if the trees were if you are concerned about forest fire hazard. living things by killed by a disease). kingdom Assessment: Extensions: groups: monera, Ask the students to list 1. The next time you're in protists, fungi, (on the Leave a Log Alone the woods with your plants and animals. Worksheet) the pros and students and you see a After you have finished cons of leaving dead trees rotting log, do some your exploration, please alone in their backyards or exploring. Have the return the log and the on the school grounds. As a students stand next to the creatures to their original class, develop guidelines log and close their eyes. locations. Ask the students that might help people de- Ask them to tap the rotting what they think this log will cide when to remove a dead wood and listen. Is the look like ten years from tree and when to leave it sound sharp or dull? Have now, and tell them about alone. them run their hands over humus and how important it the surface of the log. What is to life. Pros - does it feel like? Is it cool ¥ provide habitat for many or warm, wet or dry, rough 2. Ask the students to draw animals and plants or smooth? Ask them to cup a picture of a decaying log ¥ enrich the soil by provid- some of the decaying wood community. Color it and ing humus in their hands, if possible, label the different members. ¥ recycle nutrients such as and smell. What does the 3. Develop a play for a PTO carbon odor remind them of? meeting or another class Cons - Next, ask them to explore demonstrating the need to ¥ could fall on people or the log with their eyes open. leave logs alone. (The main damage property Tell them to look at what’s character could be a spruce ¥ might create a fire hazard on top, underneath and or fir seedling needing the ¥ might cause disease to inside the log by prying off right soil.) spread to healthy trees small pieces at a time. Ask 4. Do research on animals Guidelines or rules - them to find several that depend on standing dead ¥ Try to leave dead trees decomposers and investigate trees for nesting habitat. alone whenever possible. them closely. How did the 5. Ask students to write ¥ For safety reasons, dead living things get there? stories or draw pictures that trees next to buildings, What are they doing now? illustrate what they predict roads and trails should What and how do they eat? the natural community on probably be removed. Identify the living things if Mt. Mitchell might look like ¥ If a tree is killed by a you can, using field guides in 50 years, if left alone. disease, find out what to aid you. Classify the

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 5.3.3 April 2001 Student’s Information

hen you visited are left alone for a number Mt. Mitchell, of reasons. First, standing what was the dead trees provide habitat W most surprising for a variety of animals. or shocking thing you saw? Birds and mammals such as If you answered, “all the owls, woodpeckers, dead trees,” you’re not bluebirds, raccoons, alone. Many visitors and squirrels often comment on the large live and nest in them. number of dead trees In addition, both standing and lying on the standing and fallen ground. They want to know trees provide wood- what's killing the trees and eating insects such why the rangers don’t as termites and remove them from the park. beetles with food, Slug Because you participated shelter, and nesting areas. in the pre-visit and on-site These insects feed on the activities in this EELE, you trees, softening the wood be no plant growth. And already know what scientists and digging access tunnels without plant growth, many think may be killing the through which water, fungi, animals would starve. trees at Mt. Mitchell. Past bacteria, and small animals Humus is a critical part of logging operations and fires, can enter. They lay their the food chain. air pollution, the balsam eggs in the soft wood, woolly adelgid, severe Let’s look more closely at providing the newly hatched how the decomposition or weather and the tree’s slow larvae with an immediate growth rate all contribute to the rotting process occurs. food source. Other animals When a branch or tree falls tree death. As a tree feed on the fungi and insects becomes older, it has trouble to the ground, it is already living in the dead immediately attacked by transporting water and trees. nutrients to its different insects and other small When a tree falls to the parts. The number of dead animals on the ground. ground, decomposers such wood cells in the tree These animals bore through as bacteria, fungi and insects increases year after year the tree, crunching it into work to break down the tree until the tree finally dies. smaller pieces, and leave into rich topsoil called their excretions behind. So why doesn’t the park humus. Humus provides Beetles, termites, snails, staff remove the dead trees valuable nutrients which slugs, and millipedes all at Mt. Mitchell? Unless they plants must have to live. participate in this activity. pose a threat to park visitors, Without humus, there would the dead trees at Mt. Mitchell Next, water enters the fallen tree through the holes dug by these insects making the log a perfect spot for fungi to grow. Fungi thrive Earthworms in dark, moist places. They

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC5.3.4 April 2001 earthworms add their nutrient-rich excretions to Millipede the soil. In summary, the standing dead trees and fallen logs at Mt. Mitchell are not carbon dioxide to make food removed because they are an and new plant tissues. The important part of the spruce- recycling of carbon in this fir forest. They provide way is very important to all food and shelter for many natural communities. living things. They help Earthworms also help new plants to grow by are neither plants nor this process along by releasing carbon into the air animals, but represent a burrowing through the soil and decomposing into a rich unique group of living and making channels for air layer of soil called humus. things that live on decaying and water to reach plant material. Common examples roots. Millions of are mushrooms, molds and earthworms in each acre of mildew. Fungi spores are forest floor are capable of transported to the decaying eating 18 tons of decaying log by wind, rain, and material in just one year! insects. After they digest leaves and Some fungi produce wood pieces, the rootlike structures called rhizomorphs that help them attach to logs. As they feed on the dead log, they produce a slimy substance. In turn, small animals feed on this slime and add their own excretions to the decay. The slime also provides a great place for bacteria to grow. The bacteria that feed on the slime and excretions put the carbon from the dead tree back into the environment in the form of carbon dioxide, a gas. Green plants then use the

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 5.3.5 April 2001 Leave a Log Alone — Worksheet

What are some of the pros and cons of leaving dead trees in your backyard? Would you ever remove a dead tree from your yard?

PROS - Dead trees should be left alone because ... 1. 2. 3. CONS - Dead trees may cause a safety hazard if ... 1. 2. 3. My recommendations for dead trees and logs: In a state park: ______In my backyard: ______At my school: ______

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC5.3.6 April 2001 VOCABULARY

Acidic - Having a pH less than 7; the Bark - Layers of dead wood or cork on the chemical state of water or other substance in outside of the tree that protect the phloem and which the hydrogen (H+) ions exceed the other parts of the tree from injury and disease. hydroxyl (OH-) ions. For example, a car’s Each tree species has a characteristic bark battery acid has a pH of 1. See pH. which helps in identification of the tree. Acid rain or acid depostion - Rain, or other Basic - Having a pH greater than 7; the precipitation, having a pH below the normal chemical state of water or other substance in pH of rain (pH 5.4), usually caused by air which the hydroxyl (OHÐ) ions exceed the pollution from vehicle exhausts and coal- hydrogen (H+) ions. For example, soap has a burning furnaces. pH of 10. See pH. Adapted - Changed or developed to best Biodiversity or biological diversity - The survive in a particular environment. For variety and complexity of species present and example, forests develop only where soil interacting in an ecosystem and the relative types, moisture and sunlight are balanced to abundance of each. the proper degree. Mountain plants have Calcium - A fairly soft, silvery-white alkaline- adapted over millions of years, so they are able earth metal. It occurs naturally as calcite, to live at high altitudes with intense cold, on gypsum and fluorite. Calcium is very reactive, poor quality soils. reacting with water to give a surface layer of Alpine - Of, or pertaining to, high calcium hydroxide, and burning in air to give a mountains. nitride and oxide. Aluminum - A silvery-white, ductile Cambium - The growing layer of the tree metallic element, the most abundant in the between the phloem and the sapwood. The earth's crust, but found only in combination cambium makes new phloem, sapwood and with other elements, chiefly in bauxite ore. cambium cells every year. Bacteria - Unicellular microorganisms, the Carbon dioxide - The atmospheric gas that majority of which exist independently of living plants use for photosynthesis. Carbon dioxide hosts and are involved in processes of is produced when animals exhale and when decomposition of dead animal and plant plant materials or fossil fuels are burned. material. (Scientists call carbon dioxide a “greenhouse gas” because it traps heat in the earth’s Balds - Natural grasslands or shrub thickets atmosphere. Some scientists predict global occurring on high mountain peaks. warming due to the increase in the amount of Balsam - Any of the various trees yielding an atmospheric carbon dioxide in recent history.) aromatic, resinous substance, especially the Chlorophyll - The green pigment in the leaves balsam fir. or needles of a tree that helps capture light Balsam woolly adelgid - Adelges piceae is a energy needed for photosynthesis to occur. small sucking insect that attacks only fir trees Coniferous - Any tree that bears cones such (Abies species). This pest was introduced into as pine, Fraser fir, and red spruce. eastern North America from Europe at the turn of the 20th century.

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 6.1 April 2001 Cove hardwood forest - These forests occur degrees Fahrenheit and the boiling point of in the southern Appalachians in sheltered water as 212 degrees Fahrenheit under mountain valleys on north- and east-facing standard atmospheric pressure. slopes, from 1,500 to 4,500 feet. Cove forests Food chain - The transfer of food energy from are among the richest, most magnificent the source in plants through a series of deciduous forests found anywhere on earth. animals, with repeated eating and being eaten. Deciduous - Trees and shrubs which lose their Fossil fuel - A fuel such as gasoline, oil or leaves during seasonal changes. coal, which is made from dead plants and Decomposer - Something that causes once- animals that lived millions of years ago. living plants or animals to rot or decay. Fungi - A kingdom grouping including yeasts, Decomposition - The process in which once- mushrooms, molds, and mildews, which living plants or animals decay, or are broken reproduce mostly by means of spores and lack down by bacteria, fungi or other decomposers. chlorophyll. Diameter - The thickness or width of Global warming - The observed increase in anything, especially a circle or sphere. the average temperature of the Earth's innermost atmosphere, which is believed to be Dormant - A relatively inactive or resting the result of the greenhouse effect. condition in which some processes are slowed down or suspended. Gradient - An ascending or descending part; an incline. Earthworm - A terrestrial annelid worm of the class Oligochaeta that burrows into and Habitat - An area that provides an animal or helps aerate and enrich soil. plant with adequate food, water, shelter, and living space in a suitable arrangement. Ecosystem - A community of living organisms and their interrelated physical and Heartwood - Dense, dead wood that forms chemical environment; also, all living things the central core of the tree. It provides support and their environment in an area of any size, for the tree. with all linked together by energy and nutrient Humus - Decomposed material in the soil that flow. is a highly complex mixture of organic and Erosion - The natural process by which inorganic substances. material is removed from the earth's surface. Insect - A small invertebrate animal having an Evergreen - Having foliage that persists and adult stage characterized by three pairs of legs, remains green throughout the year. a segmented body with three major divisions, and usually two pairs of wings. Excretion - The waste matter that is eliminated from the blood, tissues, or organs. Invasive exotic species - A plant or animal species out its natural range that threatens the Exotic species - A plant or animal species survival or reproduction of native plants or occurring in a given place that is outside of its animals, and threatens to reduce biological native range. The terms exotic, non-native, diversity or biodiversity. non-indigenous, introduced, and alien mean the same thing. Larva - The wingless, often worm-like form of a newly hatched insect. In complete Fahrenheit - A temperature scale that metamorphosis, the larva is the stage registers the freezing point of water at 32 between the egg and the pupa.

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 6.2 April 2001 Lateral root - Roots that spread out from the Northern hardwood forest - These forests tree and cover a broad area. Lateral roots are occur at higher elevations, between 3,500 and usually close to the surface of the earth. 5,500 feet. They are like those found in the New England states, and are comprised Lead - A soft, malleable, ductile, bluish-white, primarily of American beech, sugar maple, dense metallic element, extracted chiefly from yellow birch and eastern hemlock. galena and used in containers and pipes for corrosives, in solder and type metal, bullets, Nutrient - A substance required for growth radiation shielding, and paints. and development. Plants, for example, need water and minerals in order to grow and Limiting factor - An environmental reproduce. condition that, when present in too great or too little an amount, has a negative effect on the Oak-hickory forest - These forests occur over survival of a species or population. the south- and east-facing outer slopes of the Blue Ridge Mountains below 3,500 feet and in Litmus paper - Specially treated paper used the interior mountain basins. The most as an acid-base indicator. common trees are white, red and chestnut Mercury - A silvery-white poisonous oaks, but black and scarlet oaks are plentiful as metallic element, liquid at room temperature. well. It is used in thermometers, barometers, vapor Organism - Any living individual; any plant lamps, and batteries, and in the preparation of or animal. chemical pesticides. Ozone - A gas that is found in two layers of Migration - The movement of animals from the Earth’s atmosphere — the troposphere one region to another by chance, instinct or (ground-level) and the stratosphere (seven to plan. ten miles above the earth). The ozone in the Native species - A plant or animal species that stratosphere protects living things from the occurs and evolves naturally without human harmful UV rays of the sun. The ground-level intervention or manipulation. ozone is a major component of smog and can seriously impair the human respiratory system. Natural community - A collection of Ground-level ozone is also implicated in plant populations of plants and animals that damage, such as yellowing of the leaves or associate with each other and their physical needles. environment. Parasite - Any organism that lives on or in and Nitric acid - A transparent, colorless or feeds on a living plant or animal, known as the yellowish, fuming corrosive liquid. This host. highly reactive oxidizing agent is used in the production of fertilizers, explosives, and rocket pH - (p)otential of (H)ydrogen ion activity; fuels and in a wide variety of industrial a measure that indicates the relative acidity or metallurgical processes. alkalinity (basicity) of a substance. The pH scale is a logarithmic scale ranging from 0 Nitrogen oxide - A family of gases that are (most acidic) to 14 (most basic), with a pH produced when fossil fuels are burned. of 7 being neutral. Nitrogen oxides are major contributors to the formation of ground-level ozone and acid Phloem - Wood cells forming tubes which deposition. transport sap (sugar and other nutrients) from the leaves to the rest of the tree. Phloem is also called the inner bark.

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 6.3 April 2001 Photosynthesis - The process, occurring in all Stomata - Microscopic holes on the under- green plants, in which water and carbon side of a leaf or needle that allow gases to dioxide are transformed into simple sugars enter and exit. Plants take in carbon dioxide and oxygen in the presence of sunlight. and give off oxygen and water vapor. Piedmont - An area lying at the foot of a Stylet - A small, stiff, needlelike mouthpart mountain or mountain range. found on the balsam woolly adelgid. Plot - A small piece of ground, generally used Sulfur dioxide - A pungent, colorless for a specific purpose. A measured area of gaseous pollutant formed primarily by the land. combustion of fossil fuels, especially coal. Rhizomorphs - A rootlike part, such as a Sulfuric acid - A highly corrosive, dense threadlike structure, that forms the vegeta- oily liquid, colorless to dark-brown tive body of some fungi. depending on its purity and used to Sapwood - Dead, wood cells that form manufacture a wide variety of chemicals tubes which transport water and minerals and materials including fertilizers, paints, from the roots to all other parts of the tree. detergents and explosives. Sapwood is also called xylem. Taproot - A root that goes straight into the Slime - Any of various fungi having a ground and helps to anchor the tree or plant. vegetative body consisting of a slimy mass Taproots go much deeper than lateral roots. of protoplasm. Not all trees or plants have a taproot. Spruce-fir forest - Coniferous forests of Windbreak - A hedge, fence, or row of the northern United States, southern trees serving to lessen or break the force of Canada, and peaks in the southern Appala- the wind. chians above 5,500 feet. Xylem - See Sapwood.

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 6.4 April 2001 References

American Forest Foundation. 1994. Project Luoma, Jon R. and Kimberly C. Joyner. Learning Tree. For information contact the May, 1990. “Air Pollution and Forest North Carolina Division of Forest Decline: Is there a link?” U. S. Department Resources, MSC 1616, Raleigh, NC 27699- of Agriculture Forest Service Bulletin No. 1616. Also see Website — http:// 595. For more information, contact Sci- www.ces.ncsu.edu/nreos/forest/plt/ Link, North Carolina State University, 1509 Varsity Dr., Raleigh, NC 27606. Website— Brody, Ed, Jay Goldspinner, Katie Green, http://www.ncsu.edu/sci-link/pubs/ Rona Lenthal, and Jack Porcino. 1992. publications.html Spinning Tales Weaving Hope. Stories for World Change Network, Philadephia, PA: North Carolina State University. 1995. The New Society Publishing. Search for Clean Air Continues. For information contact Sci-Link, 1410 Varsity Bronowski, Jacob. 1973. The Ascent of Drive, Raleigh, NC 27606. Man. Boston, MA: Little and Brown. Mount Mitchell State Park. 1984. Balsam Clay, James W., Douglas M. Orr, Jr., Alfred Trail Guide. For more information, contact W. Stuart. 1975. North Carolina Atlas, Mount Mitchell State Park, Route 5, Box Portrait of a Changing Southern State. 700, Burnsville, NC 28761. Chapel Hill, NC: The University of North Carolina Press. Selby, Samuel M., ed. 1965. Standard Mathematical Tables, Fourteenth Edition. Cole, Joanna, and Bruce Degen. 1995. The For more information, contact the Chemical Magic School Bus Meets the Rot Squad. Rubber Company, 2310 Superior Avenue, New York, NY: Scholastic, Inc. Cleveland, OH 44114. Gleason, Henry A. 1952. The New Britton United States Environmental Protection and Brown Illustrated Flora of the Agency. 1994. Project A.I.R.E. — Air Northeastern United States and Adjacent Information Resources for Education. For Canada. New York: Hafner Press, information contact: Donna Rogers, McMillan Publishing Co. Environmental Education Coordinator, Johnson, Robert G. 1984. A Naturalist’s U.S. EPA, Education and Outreach Group, Notebook — Great Smoky Mountains National MD-07, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711. Park. Kingsport Press, Kingsport, TN. U.S. Department of the Interior, National Ketchum, Richard M. 1970. The Secret Park Service. 1988. Blue Ridge Parkway Life of a Forest. New York, NY: American Bulletin: What Killed the Trees? Heritage Press. von Baeyer, Hans Christian. March, 1994. Lehr, Paul E., R. Will Burnett, Herbert S. “The Ocean, the Stars, and the Kitchen Zim. 1957. Golden Guide to the Weather. Sink,” Discover, vol. 15, 3. Racine, WI: Golden Press, Western Webster, David, James R. Parnell, and Publishing Company, Inc. Walter C. Biggs, Jr. 1985. Mammals of the Carolinas, Virginia, and Maryland. Chapel Hill, NC: The University of North Carolina Press.

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 7.1 April 2001 SCHEDULING WORKSHEET

For office use only: Date request received______Request received by______

l) Name of group (school) ______

2)Contact person ______name phone (work) (home)

______address 3)Day/date/time of requested program ______

4)Program desired and program length ______

5)Meeting place ______

6)Time of arrival at park ______Time of departure from park ______

7)Number of students ______Age range (grade) ______(Note: A maximum of 30 participants is recommended.)

8)Number of chaperones ______(Note: One adult for every 10 students is recommended.)

9)Areas of special emphasis ______

10) Special considerations of group (e.g. allergies, health concerns, physical limitations)______

11) Have you or your group participated in park programs before? If yes, please indicate previous programs attended: ______

12) Are parental permission forms required? ______If yes, please use the Parental Permission form on page 8.2.

I, ______, have read the entire Environmental Educa- tion Learning Experience and understand and agree to all the conditions within it.

Return to: Mount Mitchell State Park Fax: (828) 675-4611 Route 5, Box 700 Burnsville, NC 28714

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 8.1 April 2001 PARENTAL PERMISSION FORM

Dear Parent:

Your child will soon be involved in an exciting learning adventure - an environmental education experience at Mount Mitchell State Park. Studies have shown that “hands-on” learning improves children’s attitudes and performance in a broad range of school subjects.

In order to make your child’s visit to “nature’s classroom” as safe as possible, we ask that you provide the following information and sign at the bottom. Please note that insects, poison ivy and other potential risks are a natural part of any outdoor setting. We advise that children bring appropriate clothing (long pants, rain gear, sturdy shoes) for their planned activities.

Child’s name ______

Does your child:

¥ Have an allergy to bee stings or insect bites?______If so, please have them bring their medication and stress that they, or the group leader, be able to administer it.

¥ Have other allergies? ______

¥ Have any other health problems we should be aware of?______

¥ In case of an emergency, I give permission for my child to be treated by the attending physician. I understand that I would be notified as soon as possible.

______Parent’s signature date

Parent’s name ______Home phone ______(please print) Work phone ______

Family Physician’s name ______phone ______

Alternate Emergency Contact

Name______phone______

Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 8.2 April 2001 NORTH CAROLINA PARKS & RECREATION PROGRAM EVALUATION

Please take a few moments to evaluate the program(s) you received. This will help us improve our service to you in the future.

1. Program title(s) ______Date ______Program leader(s) ______

2. What part of the program(s) did you find the most interesting and useful? ______

3. What part(s) did you find the least interesting and useful?______

4. What can we do to improve the program(s)?______5. General comments ______

LEADERS OF SCHOOL GROUPS AND OTHER ORGANIZED YOUTH GROUPS PLEASE ANSWER THESE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS: 6. Group (school) name ______

7. Did the program(s) meet the stated objectives or curriculum needs? ______If not, why? ______

______

Please return the completed form to park staff. Thank you.

Mount Mitchell State Park Route 5, Box 700 Burnsville, NC 28714 Fax: (828) 675-4611 Mount Mitchell State Park, NC 8.3 April 2001